Glee and The City - Season 4
by MissBeth91
Summary: Season 4 A/U Rachel and Finn navigate through their lives in New York with the help from their best friends, who are actually just as clueless as they are. Episode 20 - The Season Finale
1. 4x01 - Glee and The Aftermath

**I'M BACK WITH A BRAND NEW SEASON!**

 **Hope you enjoy the first chapter and once again like the broken record that I am - LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!**

 **Happy Reading**

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 **4x01 - Glee and The Aftermath**

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 **Santana's Hospital Room – Lennox Hill Hospital – Wednesday Morning**

Three days after Santana's accident, Rachel, Quinn, and Mercedes were in Santana's room with her doctor while he explained the slow process Santana had made. The girls had been camped out in Santana's room since Friday and hadn't even be home to shower as they waited for their friend to wake up.

"I just don't understand why she hasn't woken up yet?" Mercedes asked, running her hands through her hair, frustrated.

"Miss Lopez's body needs time to heal, she'll wake when she's ready" Doctor Avery explained, kindly. It wasn't the first time then girls had asked him that question since their friend had arrived in the hospital.

"You're a doctor can't you be more scientific than that" Mercedes snipped, Quinn, and Rachel both sent her a look. They had yet to leave Santana's hospital room despite the rules about visiting hours so they didn't need to get on the doctor's bad side or he might tell them to leave.

"I'm sorry about her" Quinn apologised, putting her hand on Mercedes arm in warning.

"It's okay, I'm afraid we have done everything we can. Miss Lopez will wake up when she's ready" Doctor Avery replied, he finished writing in Santana's file then put it back in the holder at the end of the bed.

"Thank you, doctor" Quinn smiled at him, before he left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Mercedes snapping at the doctor isn't going to get anything done" Rachel reasoned, giving Mercedes an exasperated look before she sat back down at the table in the far corner of Santana's room.

"It's been two days, they said the swelling has gone down she should be waking up" Mercedes argued, throwing herself into the chair next to Rachel.

"Santana always liked to keep people waiting" Rachel quipped.

"Well I'm getting bored of it" Mercedes grumbled, crossing her arms. They had all been sleeping in chairs for the last three days and it was making them all a little cranky.

"Not how you thought you'd be spending your first few weeks as a newlywed" Rachel teased, smiling at Quinn as she watched her straighten the hospital linen that was covering Santana.

"I can't say it is, no. Although Noah has been great – he's taking care of everything so that I can be here" Quinn beamed. Puck and Finn had been taking care of the kids by themselves and sorted everything at the magazine and gallery so that Quinn and Rachel could give their full attention to Santana.

"Wow you really are a newlywed, with all this gushy talk" Rachel joked, rolling her eyes as she picked up a magazine from the table and starting flipping through it.

"Please you've been married over ten years and you still talk this way about Finn" Quinn quipped, rolling her eyes.

"You okay Mercedes" Rachel asked, when she noticed the thoughtful look on Mercedes face.

Mercedes shrugged "Yeah I'm fine"

"Santana is going to wake up" Quinn pressed, joining the other two at the table.

"I know she is" Mercedes agreed, firmly. The girls were silent for a few minutes as the flipped through some old magazines before they were interrupted by Finn knocking on the door.

" _Knock, knock"_

"Mommy!" Rose beamed running into the room followed by Henry and NJ. The three of them ran to their mothers and jumped onto their laps.

"Hey babies" Rachel gushed holding her arms out for Rose and Henry "Give me a kiss"

Rachel covered Henry and Rose in kisses as they both squeezed their mother tightly, they weren't used to not having Rachel put them to bed a night and missed having her around.

"Any change?" Finn asked as Puck and he walked into the room, dropping some bags onto the table.

"No change, the doctor said she would wake when she's ready" Mercedes explained, as Quinn and Rachel were too busy hugging their children to listen to their husbands.

"Is Auntie Sans still sleeping?" NJ asked as he jumped off his mother's lap and walked over to Santana's bed. They had told the children that Santana had been hurt and that she needed to rest in hospital so that she would feel better and luckily for them, the children hadn't pushed it and asked more questions.

"She is" Quinn said, before taking her son's hand "NJ stop poking her"

"We brought you all some breakfast, figured you didn't want to eat the hospital food again" Puck said as he started taking containers out of the bags they had left on the table.

"There's muffins mommy!" NJ beamed, more interested in the food on the table then poking his auntie, while she slept.

"Thank you, NJ" Quinn smiled at her son, picking him up and sitting him back on her knee while Puck and Finn dished out food to everyone. Eventually everyone was squashed around the small table having some breakfast but after a few minutes Puck stopped eating and put his plate down.

"Am I the only one who thinks it's weird we'll all eating breakfast around Santana while she's like..." Puck said, nodding his head at Santana "That"

"Well now I do" Quinn replied, putting her own plate down as well. Eventually everyone stopped eating and the children quickly got bored with sitting around a table in a small hospital room.

"They have a playground here mommy" Rose said, looking up at her mother.

"Why don't you guys go check it out, spend some time together. I'll stay here" Mercedes injected.

"You sure?" Rachel asked, even as the children jumped off their seats and began to leave the room.

"Yeah go, I'll come and get you if anything happens" Mercedes added, waving them out of the room as she settled in the seat next to Santana's bed.

 **Hospital Playground – Lennox Hill Hospital – Wednesday Morning**

While Mercedes stayed with Santana, the others went to the nearest playground. Puck, Quinn, and NJ went to the swings and Rachel, Finn, and the kids sat on a nearby bench so Rose could catch Rachel up on what had happened in the last 3 days.

"So, then we learnt about different people in your family and then we had to draw each family member. My teacher said I had a lot of Auntie and Uncles but I told her they weren't all your brothers and sisters" Rose explained, earnestly from where she sat perched on her mother's lap while Henry pulled on her hand to get her attention.

"That's great Rosie I can't wait to see the picture" Rachel enthused.

"And I got a new book from the book fair at school but I want you to read it to be when you are home" Rose added, as she tried to push her brother away so she could get her mother's full attention. Finn was sat next to her watching the whole thing with amusement.

"I promise I will do Sweetie"

"Mommy play on slide" Henry called, moving out of Rose's reach as he climbed up on to the bench to sit near Rachel.

"I'm talking to mommy Henry" Rose argued, glaring at her brother.

"Rosie why don't you take Henry on the slide while I talk to daddy, you can tell me the rest when you get back" Rachel suggested, helping Rose and Henry get down from the bench.

"Okay, come on Henry" Rose sighed, before taking her brothers hand and lightly dragging him towards the slide where NJ was now playing with Quinn and Puck

"They miss you" Finn noted as he wrapped his arm around Rachel and pulled her close, giving her a kiss on the side of her head.

"I know, I miss them too. I thought Santana would be awake by now" Rachel reasoned as she cuddled into Finn while watching her two children on the slide. Rachel felt guilty that she hadn't seen much of her children, but she knew she couldn't leave Santana's side until she was awake. She would just spend extra time with them once everything was settled.

"Has the doctor said anything else" Finn asked, glancing down at Rachel.

"Just that her body needs to heal and she'll wake up when she's ready" Rachel replied.

"Santana always did like to keep people waiting"

"That's what I said" Rachel laughed lightly leaning up to kiss Finn's jaw. That's when she noticed the light bags under Finn's eyes and she was feeling even more guilty.

"Is everything okay, do you want me to come home tonight" Rachel asked, moving slightly so she could stroke Finn's jaw, he leaned into her touch before giving her a quick kiss.

"We both know all you'd be thinking about is Santana. Me and the kids are fine, we just miss you that's all. The house is empty when you're not there" Finn enthused.

"I miss you guys too and sleeping in a hospital chair for three nights is killing my back" Rachel moaned, rolling out her shoulders. Finn put his hands on her shoulders and started to massage her, Rachel let out a sigh of content.

"We can bill Santana for a massage when she wakes up" Finn joked, giving Rachel a kiss on the side of her neck just as Rose ran back over to them, jumping up between her parents.

"Henry has been on the slide; now can I tell you about Hayley's new toy" Rose asked, Finn walked over to Henry as Rachel put Rose on her knee.

"Of course, tell me everything" Rachel smiled, pulling Rose close as Henry took Finn's hand and dragged him towards the swings.

 **XoXo**

After playing with their children and catching up with their husbands for twenty minutes, Puck and Finn decided to take the children for something to eat and Quinn and Rachel went back to Santana's room.

"Hey, did the guys take-off" Mercedes asked, looking up from her magazine when she saw Quinn and Rachel walking back into the room.

"Yeah, the kids were getting restless, they are going to take them to the play gym a few blocks over, then bring them back later" Quinn explained, taking a seat at the table while Rachel poured them each some orange juice from the jug that Finn and Puck had brought them.

"Was work okay with you taking time off" Mercedes asked, taking the cup from Rachel as she sat next to her friends and picked up the magazine that she had been reading before.

"I just have Frankie covering for me, its fine" Quinn waved off. The three of them went back to drinking their orange juice and flipping through the magazines they had for another fifteen minutes before they looked up when they heard a knock at the door.

" _Hey guys"_

"Danni? Hi, come in" Quinn said, shoving her magazine aside as Danni walked into the room. the girls hadn't seen or heard from Danni since her argument with Brittany three days before.

"We weren't expecting to see you" Rachel noted, cautiously. They weren't sure what to expect from Danni, the last time she had been at the hospital she found out her girlfriend had been cheating on her.

"I was angry last time I was here but I still wanted to know how she is" Danni explained, softly. She walked over to Santana and softly stroked her hand down her face.

"The doctor said she should make a full recovery we are just waiting for her to wake up" Quinn explained as they continued to watch Danni with Santana. She seemed genuinely upset and didn't seem as angry as she was before.

"She's looks peaceful" Danni sighed, taking Santana's hand in her own, before glancing at the others. "Have you all been here since they brought her in" Danni wondered noticing the blankets and pillows stacked against the chairs.

"We have?" Rachel nodded.

"Does she have parents, family members?" Danni asked. The others shared a look, they weren't sure what Santana had told Danni about her family life so they decided not to say anything.

Quinn shook her head "Just us"

"Brittany?" Mercedes exclaimed, jumping up from her seat when she noticed Brittany walking into the room.

"Hey, I wanted to see how she was" Brittany said, not noticing Danni stood by the bed as she smiled at the others in greeting.

"What are you doing here?" Danni snipped, glaring at Brittany. Quinn and Mercedes shared a panicked look.

"I have just as much right to be here as you" Brittany argued, crossing her arms as she glared back at Brittany.

"I'm Santana's girlfriend" Danni sneered.

"Please, how serious can it be when she's also being seeing me for the last few weeks" Brittany snapped, rolling her eyes. Rachel pinched the top of her nose, she had a feeling she knew where the conversation was going.

"Well I have a key to her apartment and didn't it take me two years to get it" Danni replied, smirking knowingly at Brittany. Mercedes and Quinn both turned to Rachel, willing her to jump in and stop the conversation.

"Santana always comes back to me!" Brittany snapped.

"In any way, you can take her apparently" Danni sneered.

"Okay that's enough both of you, I understand you both have things to say to Santana but they can wait until she's better. I want you both to leave" Rachel argued, coming between the two of them. She knew they both had a right to be mad at Santana and each other but it didn't need to happen in Santana's hospital room while she was still unconscious.

Brittany shook her head "Rachel – "

"I mean it. Neither of you are welcome here. You can both come back when Santana decides she wants to see you. Now get out!" Rachel concluded, pointing her hand to the door. Both knew better than to argue with Rachel so they both hastily left the hospital room, not before glaring at each other one last time.

"Don't mess with Mama Rachel" Mercedes joked as they all sat back down at their table.

"Time to wake up Santana, so you can deal with all of that" Rachel affirmed, looking over at Santana with a firm look.

Quinn slumped down in her seat "I think that's exactly why she isn't awake yet"

 **XoXo**

Once they had made sure Danni and Brittany had left, the girls settled down at the table in Santana's room to play a game of cards. Rachel felt slightly bad about yelling at Brittany and Danni when they were both hurting but she still felt like it had to be said. Santana needed to heal before she could deal with her relationships.

"Brittany's not wrong Santana does always go back to her" Mercedes reasoned as she picked up a card from the pack in the middle before putting down another from her deck.

"But Danni is so good for her" Quinn enthused. They had all loved Brittany but they had to admit that Santana's relationship with Danni seemed to be a lot easier and relaxed. Maybe there wasn't as much passion which is probably what lead to her going back to Brittany.

"The heart wants what the heart wants" Rachel quipped, winking at Quinn as she picked up a card from the deck.

"I think that's Santana's problem she never knows what she wants" Quinn reasoned.

"Or does and is afraid to actually fight for it" Mercedes interjected, taking a drink of her orange juice before taking her turn.

"Luckily, she has you two to make the decision for her" Rachel joked, giving Quinn and Mercedes a look. They both rolled their eyes at her so she decided to change the subject.

"How are things with Matt?" Rachel asked, glancing at Mercedes who just shrugged lamely.

"They are fine, we're basically like roommates. He's not really there a lot – he's working" Mercedes explained. She hadn't really spoken to her friends in the last few weeks about Matt because it was starting to feel awkward. She knew despite what they said that they didn't understand her arrangement with him and probably never would, so it was easier to just pretend it didn't exist whenever she was with them.

"He should be working on what he promised you so that you can get out of this marriage" Quinn argued, shaking her head.

"I'm sure he is, he wants out as well" Mercedes waved off. Rachel and Quinn shared a look, they could tell Mercedes didn't want to talk about Matt.

"Wanna talk about something else" Quinn asked, smiling reassuringly at Mercedes before taking her go, she picked up a card then turned to Rachel "So how did you convince the nurses on this ward to let us be here 24-7"

"I bought them a new, very expensive coffee maker for their staff room" Rachel replied, she knew they were breaking a lot of rules by staying at the hospital, especially in the ICU but if the nurses didn't care, once they got their coffee maker, then neither did Rachel.

"Yay, I win" Mercedes cheered holding up her desk of cards to show 4 7's and 3 4's. the other two groaned as she threw their cards into the middle of the table.

" _How do you do that every time"_

"Santana!" Quinn shrieked, jumping up from her chair, the other two followed and rushed over to Santana's bed to find their friend fluttering her eyes open.

"I'll get the doctor" Mercedes rushed out of the room, while Quinn and Rachel shared a tearful hug, without taking their eyes off Santana.

Rachel beamed at Santana, wiping away the tears in her eyes "Oh Santana, thank god!"

 **XoXo**

Thirty minutes later, Santana had some tests done, had her stitches checked then was taken back to her room so the doctor could give her, her results. Rachel, Quinn, and Mercedes were all stood nearby as the doctor read through Santana's chart. Rachel called everyone who needed to know that Santana was awake and was coming back into the room just as Doctor Avery closed Santana's chart and turned to the patient.

"Well other than the broken arm, your scans have all come back normal Miss Lopez. You should make a full recovery" Dr Avery explained, looking down at the CT scan results in his hand before looking over at Santana.

"Good, when can I get out of here" Santana asked, which made Rachel, Mercedes, and Quinn gave her a disgruntled look. Santana rolled her eyes at them before looking back at the doctor.

"You still need to rest so it will be a few days before we can release you" Avery added, with an amused smile.

"So, I'm in prison" Santana groaned, before pinching the top of her nose when she felt a headache coming on.

"She will be a model patient Doctor" Quinn enthused, smiling widely at the Doctor, who nodded at her.

"I'm going to have a nurse come in and help you into another gown and clean up some of your cuts" Avery explained, as he wrote something on Santana's chart "The main thing for you to do is get some rest"

"Thank you, doctor" Quinn beamed at him before he left. Once the door was closed the other three turned back to Santana all with worried looks on their faces.

"You guys weren't actually worried were you" Santana quipped, smirking at them. They all rolled their heads then moved away from her bed to busy themselves around the room.

"You shut up" Rachel pointed her finger at Santana, before moving to the table to tidy up the cards and magazines.

"We're glad your back" Mercedes said, smirking at Santana "Because you have a bit of a mess to clean up"

"They both showed up then" Santana stated, sadly once the others had explained to her everything that she had missed between Danni and Brittany. Santana could feel her headache getting worse when she thought about the conversations she would need to have with Brittany and Danni.

"You have a power that seems to make women crazy" Rachel quipped, taking a seat at the table.

"I have to talk to them"

"You don't have to worry about that now, you need to concentrate on getting better" Quinn reasoned, handing Santana a glass of water before she started fluffing her pillows.

"Yeah Rachel scared them off you have a few days at least" Mercedes added, winking playfully at Rachel who just rolled her eyes in return.

"No, I think it's time I faced them both" Santana reasoned, taking a deep breath "I need to stop hiding"

 **XoXo**

An hour later, Santana was sat up in her hospital bed watching TV when Danni walked into her room. Santana had sent her a message asking her to drop by so they could talk and she was glad Danni wasn't too angry to listen to what Santana had to say.

"Hey Danni, thanks for coming" Santana said as she watched Danni look around the room instead of at Santana.

"I'm glad to see you're looking better"

"I'm sure I was quite a sight before" Santana quipped, suddenly feeling conscious of the hospital robe she was wearing and the bandage on her head.

"Your bodyguards going to kick me out again" Danni mused, finally looking at Santana. Santana had forced Mercedes, Rachel, and Quinn to go to the canteen for something to eat so they wouldn't be around when Danni arrived.

Santana cringed slightly "Sorry about them"

"Don't be, they were right. There is a time and place for certain conversations" Danni reasoned. She made no move to sit down so Santana knew she wasn't planning on staying so Santana knew she had to start talking.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry I hurt you" Santana apologised, looking shameful "When it comes to relationships, I'm a lot more messed up than I realised"

"I think you don't think you deserve to be happy but trust me you do" Danni affirmed, giving Santana a small smile. Santana smiled back, she couldn't believe how classy Danni was being even though Santana didn't deserve it.

"So, do you"

"Goodbye Santana"

"Goodbye Danni" Santana said, Danni walked over to her, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before rushing out of the room. Santana laid her head back and closed her eyes. She felt better that Danni now knew the truth but she hated that she had hurt Danni as well, she didn't deserve it, and Santana didn't feel good that she's been left off so easily.

Santana was only alone for a few minutes before the girls came back into the room, with a coffee and a muffin for her.

"Everything okay?" Rachel asked, when she noticed the look on Santana's face as she handed her the coffee and muffin.

Santana nodded "I think so yeah"

"What about Brittany" Quinn wondered, as the three of them settled back at the table, where Santana could tell they had set up base for the last three days.

"I called her and told her I needed some space to figure things out. She understood" Santana replied. Santana didn't want to risk Danni and Brittany running into each other again and truthfully, she wasn't as clear on what she wanted to say to Brittany as she had been with Danni.

"First though, you need to get better. Figure out your on-going relationship once you're out of this bed" Rachel argued.

"And can pee without help" Mercedes added, smirking at Santana.

"Miss Lopez, I'm here to re-do your dressings" Nurse Fields said, walking into the room. Quinn and Rachel shared a look. Ever since they knew Santana was okay Rachel and Quinn had been inching to leave for a bit so that they could see their children.

"While you get cleaned up, we're going to go home for a few hours – see our husbands and children" Rachel explained, getting up from the table as the nurse started getting things out of the cupboard to help Santana.

"Or in my case shower and watch TV" Mercedes said.

"And we'll be back later okay" Quinn said, giving Santana a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room.

"You don't have to, I'll be fine" Santana waved off.

Rachel rolled her eyes "Ignoring you, we'll be back later"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Wednesday Evening**

Rachel walked into her home, dropped her coat and bags by the front door then walked into the living room to see her husband laid out on the sofa watching Game of Thrones while Henry played with his toy blocks on the floor and Rose sat in the love seat reading a book.

"Hey guys" Rachel greeted, walking further into the room. she threw herself onto the sofa and cuddled Finn.

"Momma" Henry cheered, throwing his blocks aside he jumped on the sofa with his parents.

"Hey Baby" Rachel gushed, she settled in-between Finn's legs and pulled her son close and gave him a kiss on the head.

"How's she doing?" Finn asked as Rose came over to her family and joined them on the sofa.

"She's okay. The doctors think she should be out in a few days" Rachel replied as she gave Rose a quick kiss. She was so glad her friend was okay, and that she could finally be home with her family. Three days was too long for her to be away from them.

"That's great news" Finn enthused.

"I told her we'd all go back later" Rachel said, before turning to Rose "But first I believe these a new book that we need to read"

"I'll go get it" Rose replied, before rushing out of the room. Rose came back a few moments later with the book in her hand, she sat next to Rachel and handed her the book while Finn settled Henry on his knee and wrapped his arm around Rachel. Rachel leaned into Finn and opened the book to the first page.

"Okay everyone ready"

 **Santana's Hospital Room – Lennox Hill Hospital – Wednesday Evening**

Two hours later, the girls had all showered and changed then met up, along with the kids and husbands, to go back to the hospital. They had picked up some clothes and food for Santana and they all walked in arms full of bags to see Santana sat up watching TV, looking a little brighter than she had done earlier.

"AUNTIE SANS, YOU'RE AWAKE" NJ cheered as he ran into the room with Rose and Henry following behind him.

"I am and I'm very happy to see you three" Santana said. NJ and Henry tried to climb up on to her bed to hug their Aunt but luckily their parents came into the room to stop them from messing with the wires connected to Santana's arm and chest.

"We brought you some cookies, and pictures, and balloons, and I have this book that you can read" Rose gushed. Puck helped Henry and NJ on to the bed while everything else put out the things they had brought for Santana.

"That sounds great" Santana beamed, she glanced around the room at the flowers and balloons that were now littered everywhere as Henry and NJ both reached over to give her a hug, while Finn and Puck got out the treats that they had brought.

"Guys be careful with Auntie Sans" Quinn warned them.

"I'm okay" Santana waved off, as she hugged her nephews, not at all bothered that it was hurting her shoulders to do so.

"How you feeling?" Finn asked, handing her a bottle of water once NJ and Henry had finally climbed off her. He lifted Rose up to give Santana a kiss on the cheek before putting her at the end of the bed with Henry and NJ.

"A lot better than I probably look" Santana jested, as Mercedes gave her a quick hug.

"Well we're all glad you're okay" Finn stated, warmly.

"Yeah, we get our wives back now" Puck joked, as slumped down on one of the chairs and leaned back, putting his feet up on another chair.

"I bet you've both enjoyed the peace" Santana reasoned, giving Finn and Puck an amused look.

"Well…" Puck smirked, Quinn slapped him on the arm "I'm kidding"

"Let's have some cookies" Rose said, jumping off the bed to open on of the plastic containers that held the cookies. She had already two in her mouth before Rachel could stop her.

"There are for Auntie Sans Rose" Rachel said.

"I'm making sure they are okay" Rose replied, through a mouth full of cookie.

"Luckily, we brought some more" Rachel said, winking at Santana before taking another cookie out of her daughter's hand.

"Eat up everyone" Finn cheered, the kids rushed towards the brownies and cookies while Rachel handed Santana some food before the children ate it all.

 **XoXo**

Two hours later, after finishing all the food they had brought, caught her up on what she had missed and then watched a bad movie, Rachel and Quinn decided the kids needed to go to bed and they needed to sleep in their own beds so they all got ready to leave. While Puck and Finn cleaned up all the mess, the girls made sure Santana had everything she needed while getting the kids ready to leave.

"Bye Auntie Sans!" Rose waved before skipping out of the room with Henry and Finn rushing out after them with a hasty goodbye, before his children could get too far away from them.

"Bye, bye Sans" NJ cheered, Santana waved back, she was happy to see her friends but was also glad they were leaving so she could finally get some rest.

"We'll be back tomorrow okay" Quinn added as she left the room with Puck and NJ.

Santana nodded "Okay"

"Try to get some rest" Rachel instructed, giving Santana a pointed look. Santana smiled at her before nodding her head.

"I will"

"Bye" Rachel said, before closing the door behind her. Santana waited until she was sure they were away from her room and couldn't hear her before she finally let the tears fall.


	2. 4x02 - Glee and The New Start

**Hey guys :) thank you for the lovely reviews :D its so nice to be back - I'll admit I love praise but then who doesn't. I know some of you were disappointed about Danni but right now Santana doesn't know what she wants and changes her mind more than she changes her underwear. Anyway New Chapter for you all - enjoy and let me know what you think. Also they may be, maybe not (But definitely is) a new character (cough baby cough) that needs a name so I thought I'd let you guys pick one. Boy or Girl just let me know.**

 **Happy Reading**

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 **4x02 - Glee and The New Start**

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 **Matt and Mercedes Apartment – Upper West Side – Friday Morning**

Mercedes was in her walk-in wardrobe getting ready for the day when she heard a knock on her bedroom door, she looked up to see Matt walking into her room then over to her. Matt and Mercedes had been married six months and when they got back from their honeymoon they decided it would be easy for both of them if they had separate rooms. They had to pretend with other people but not with each other.

"Hey Mercedes, I'll be back late tonight so you can have the apartment to yourself. I'll stay at a hotel nearby" Matt explained, leaning against the door, his phone in his hand.

"You don't have to do that Matt; I don't have any plans. Santana gets out of hospital today so I'll just be at her place helping her get settled" Mercedes replied. Matt had been spending a lot of time at a hotel in the last month and Mercedes had a feeling that Matt wasn't just working but he'd actually met someone.

"Its fine really, it will be a late one" Matt reasoned, before pocketing his phone "Anyway I better go, see you later Mercedes"

Mercedes smiled "Bye Matt"

 **Quinn and Puck's Apartment – Upper East Side – Friday Morning**

At the same time, Quinn was in NJ's room cleaning it up before she went over to the hospital. That's when she noticed that the poster she had taken down the night before had somehow managed to find its way back on NJ's wall.

"Noah, how many times I don't want that sign in NJ's room" Quinn argued, she was taking the poster off the wall when Puck walked into the room. He rolled his eyes as he watched her making no attempt to help her.

"But you said I couldn't have it in the living room, it's my favourite poster" Puck retorted. Quinn left the poster on the floor the turned to face her husband.

"It's inappropriate to have in front of a child" Quinn reasoned. The poster was a vintage Die-Hard Movie poster that Puck had had for years, it was signed by Bruce Willis, and was one of Puck's prized item, but Quinn didn't like it and didn't think it suited her chic apartment.

"He saw it all the time when he was at my old place" Puck sighed, running his hand over his hair.

"Well I don't want it in my apartment" Quinn grumbled, crossing her arms. They had been having the same argument since Puck had moved in, but it only seemed to have magnified since they had gotten married and neither of them were sure why.

"So, this is just your apartment then" Puck snipped, rolling his eyes "Did any of my stuff make the cut"

"Look I have to get to the hospital we can talk about this later" Quinn sighed.

"I'm sure that we will" Puck grumbled as he left Quinn alone in the room.

 **Santana's Hospital Room – Lennox Hill Hospital – Friday Morning**

Two weeks after her accident, Santana was finally going home. She wasn't allowed to go back to work yet but she was happy that she would finally be able to see something other than the four walls of the hospital room. Rachel, Mercedes, and Quinn had all cleared their schedules for the day so they could take Santana home and get her settled in her apartment.

"Hello Miss Lopez, you ready to get out of here" Dr Avery asked, amused when he noticed Santana was already dressed and her bags were already packed, and her three friends were sat waiting at the table.

"God yes, if that nurse talks to me about her grandchildren one more time I will strangle her" Santana snipped, leaning her head back on the bed.

"She's kidding" Quinn laughed, before sending a disapproving look to Santana.

"Well everything has been signed so you're free to go" Dr Avery announced, glancing at the other three women "And I can see you will be well taken care off"

"They are going to drive me insane by tomorrow" Santana quipped, the other three women smirked at her, they knew they probably would drive her crazy but none of them cared.

"Insane with love" Rachel smirked. Dr Avery handed Santana her discharge papers then smiled at the other three women, who he had grown accustomed with in the last two weeks.

"Bye ladies" Dr Avery laughed before leaving the room, just as a nurse came in with a wheel chair.

"I'll take that" Rachel said, taking the wheelchair form the nurse before looking over at Santana "You ready to leave"

"I'm not sitting in that" Santana snipped, getting up from the bed to show that she could walk on her own. Mercedes and Rachel ignored her as they collected her bags.

"Yes, you are its hospital policy" Quinn argued, walking over to Santana she took her arm but Santana shrugged out of Quinn's hold.

Santana shook her head "Nope"

Quinn crossed her arm "Yes!"

"Make me" Santana snipped, all three women glared at her, so with a grumble Santana reluctantly got into the wheelchair. With a triumphant smile, Quinn wheeled her out of the room, with Mercedes and Rachel following behind with the bags.

 **Santana's Apartment – East Village - Friday Morning**

Half an hour later, the girls had managed to get Santana home without much fuss. They had helped her change into some clean pyjamas, got her into bed then moved her TV into her bedroom so she wouldn't get bored, especially because they knew Santana was inching to go back to work.

"Okay everything is away; I've put all your pills out in the order you need them. I made enough meals to last a week but one of us will be here to warm them up for you. Do you need anything else?" Quinn explained, walking into the room, handing Santana a bottle of water. When Quinn knew Santana was going to be released Quinn had stocked up Santana's fridge and cupboards and cleaned her entire apartment.

"For you to be quiet" Santana complained, before smiling at Quinn "Thank you but I just need to rest"

"Well we are going to take it in turns to be here with you, just for the next few days" Mercedes said, as she put away Santana's toiletries and Rachel put away her clothes.

"You don't need to do that" Santana mused, watching her friends as she laid out on her bed.

"No arguments, let us help you" Rachel affirmed. She turned from the wardrobe to give Santana a pressing look Santana knew meant she wasn't going to be left alone.

"Lucky for you I have the first shift" Mercedes mused, turning to Rachel and Quinn "You guys can get off; I've got this"

The other two nodded and each gave Santana a quick kiss and hug before leaving the room.

"I left a list of everything that needs doing on the kitchen counter" Quinn explained as Rachel pushed her out of the room "Call me if you need anything"

"I'm glad you didn't die" Mercedes laughed as she joined Santana on her bed. She switched on the TV and turned it onto the movie channel before getting comfortable on Santana's bed.

Santana nodded, before putting her head on Mercedes shoulder "Me too"

 **XoXo**

Half an hour later, Mercedes had made Santana come lunch, cleaned up the already spotless apartment while Santana napped, then joined her on the bed to catch up on the _How to Get Away With Murder_ episodes that Santana had missed.

"You okay? You comfortable enough" Mercedes asked, sitting up so she could straighten the pillows behind Santana.

"I'm fine really. I'm tired of talking about myself. What's going on with you" Santana asked, moving her pillows back the way she had then before muting her TV then turning to face Mercedes.

"I think Matt has met someone" Mercedes relied, quietly. She got confused when Santana started to laugh.

"I didn't mean to laugh but as a family lawyer it's very rare for me to see a wife not be upset in the slightest that her husband might be sleeping with someone else"

"I've definitely had one of the weirdest marriage" Mercedes agreed, with a small laugh "I think it's time I leave him"

"You're gonna leave without the money you were promised" Santana wondered. Santana wouldn't say it to Mercedes but she didn't really believe that Mercedes would leave Matt, with no money to show for it.

Mercedes shrugged lamely "It's not fair to either of us, I see that now"

"I think that's the right thing, you don't need him Mercedes"

"I guess I'm not used to being alone" Mercedes admitted, slightly ashamed with herself. Even though Mercedes was 35, she had gone from her parents paying her rent to moving into Matt's apartment where she paid for nothing.

"You will never be alone" Santana affirmed, taking Mercedes hand in her own. She cuddled into Mercedes and unmuted the TV.

"You either"

"I'm starting to see that" Santana nodded, before they both turned back to the TV as another episode of _How to Get Away with Murder_ started.

 **Walking Home - Central Park – Friday Afternoon**

After leaving Santana's apartment, Quinn and Rachel decided to have some lunch at a restaurant near Central Park, before deciding to take a walk through the park, before going home, so they could enjoy some peace and quiet on their day off.

"So how are you and Puck?" Rachel asked.

"We're good" Quinn replied, quickly "Although we can't seem to agree on where to put all his stuff. Who knew Puck had so much stuff"

" _Puck?_ "

"Sorry I met Noah, I'm just frustrated with the boxes littering my apartment" Quinn sighed, waving her hand, not meeting Rachel demanding gaze.

" _My apartment_?"

"Something to say Rachel" Quinn snipped.

"Well you're calling it your apartment still, how is Noah supposed to feel comfortable if he just thinks he's a guest in your apartment" Rachel reasoned, trying to be as soft as she could. She knew Quinn didn't like harsh criticism, especially about her relationship.

"It's a really ugly sign" Quinn argued, throwing her head back.

"It's a gesture Quinn. You think I like the framed poster in our dining room. I have it up because Finn used to have it up in his college dorm and he loves it. I never had the heart to tell him it looks like an injured baby"

"So, you think I should let him put up the sign" Quinn asked, reluctantly, looking over at Rachel who nodded at her while smirking.

"It can't be that bad of a sign. Just suck it up for your husband" Rachel shrugged. She'd had a poster in her dining room for the last ten years that she didn't like so she figured Quinn could do the same.

"This marriage stuff is harder than I thought"

Rachel threw her head back, amused "God! It's just a movie poster"

 **Finn's Office – Dalton Academy – Friday Afternoon**

While his wife was enjoying a peaceful day off, Finn was in his office trying to finish some new student's files while also listening to his best friend rant about a poster. Puck had been in Finn's office for twenty minutes and Finn still wasn't clear on what the real issue was.

"I mean it's just a poster, it's not like I want to put it in our room" Puck argued, as he paced in front of Finn's desk.

"Is it really that important, it's just a movie poster" Finn replied, not bothering to look away from his computer, he wasn't sure if Puck actually wanted his advice or just needed somewhere to vent before his next class.

"It's the principal of the thing. I should be allowed to put up my own things in my own apartment"

"But it's not just your apartment, its Quinn's as well. You guys need to find a compromise that your both happy with, probably make for an easier living situation" Finn reasoned. He finished his report then sent it to the printer before turning his chair to face Puck.

"Maybe so, I figured that Quinn would let me hang the poster because she knew Rachel let you hang that poster that she hates" Puck grumbled, finally slumping down in the seat across from Finn.

"What poster?"

"The French one in your dining room"

"Rachel likes that poster" Finn replied, confused. Puck was talking about the French movie poster Rachel and Finn had in the dining room that Rachel had first said she liked when she had seen it in Finn's college dorm.

"Nope she doesn't, she thinks it looks like a wounded baby" Puck quipped, remembering all the times he'd heard her mumble insults at the poster whenever Finn wasn't in the room.

Finn shook his head "No, she doesn't"

"Yes, she does"

"You can leave now, I have things to think about"

"What about my sign" Puck sighed, as he got up from his chair while Finn went back to his computer.

"It's ugly, it does not belong in your apartment" Finn proclaimed.

"Spoil sport" Puck mumbled, before leaving Finn's office. Finn rolled his eyes at his friends retreating body before going back to his work.

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Friday Afternoon**

After a full day at work, Finn picked up the kids from school and nursery, got them all settled with an activity in their playroom then found himself in the dining room staring at the framed poser Puck had mentioned early. That was also were Rachel found him when she came home twenty minutes later.

"Hey babe, where are the kids" Rachel asked, walking over to Finn, and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"In the playroom, how's Santana" Finn replied, not taking his eyes off the poster even as he gave Rachel a peck on the cheek.

"She's okay, Its Quinn turn to babysit her, I'm gonna go over after I've spent some time with the kids" Rachel said, looking over at him amused "So are you gonna tell me why you're staring at this poster"

"You like this poster right"

Rachel nodded, lamely "I do yeah"

"Really" Finn pressed, eyeing Rachel carefully, pulling away from her slightly so he could see her face.

"Really, Really"

"You hate it don't you" Finn sighed, rubbing his hands on his face. He couldn't believe he never noticed before, Rachel had never been able to lie to him.

"Really, Really"

"Why did you never tell me?" Finn asked, frustrated. Rachel moved so she was sat next to him on the table.

"Because you loved it so much and I didn't want to upset you" Rachel replied, admittedly she could have gotten rid of the poster a long time ago, but Finn had had it since he was 18 so she thought it was special to him.

"Rachel, I hate this poster" Finn declared, pointing his hand at the mentioned poster. Rachel gaped at the Poster then back at her husband.

"What!"

"Yeah, you mentioned that you liked it when you saw my dorm for the first time and I really wanted to impress you so I said I really liked it as well" Finn explained, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.

"When I said that I was just trying to be nice" Rachel argued, shaking her head.

"So was I, my mother actually bought me this poster" Finn replied, cautiously, knowing that Rachel would not like something Carol approved in her house.

"So, your telling me that we've had a poster up that your mother likes, for 15 years because we were both trying to be nice" Rachel snipped, dangerously close to losing it.

"We're both idiots" Finn laughed, wrapping Rachel up in a tight hug.

"Finn"

"Hmmm"

"Get this hideous poster out of our house" Rachel shouted, Finn jumped slightly at the rise in her voice before quickly taking the picture off the wall to throw it outside.

 **Santana's Apartment – East Village – Friday Evening**

Once the issue with the poster had been sorted Rachel spent an hour with her children before making her way over to Santana's for her turn to look after the reluctant patient. She walked into Santana's bedroom to see Santana was exactly where she had left her but the take away containers and magazines thrown about the room told Rachel, Santana was probably going out of her mind.

"Hey Sans, my turn" Rachel greeted, joining Santana on her bed.

"You guys don't have to do this, I'm really fine" Santana sighed, even though she knew none of her friends were going to listen.

"While I know that, I think Quinn would kill us if we didn't stick to the schedule" Rachel quipped, helping herself to some of the popcorn Santana had on her lap. "So, any juicy gossip while you've been sat here all day"

"I do actually, Mercedes thinks that Matt has met someone so she's thinking about leaving him"

"Really? Think she will" Rachel wondered, before taking some more popcorn, from the bowl on Santana's lap, and getting comfortable on the bed.

"She waited all this time for the money, I can't see her leave now before she gets it. As terrible as that sounds" Santana admitted, while Mercedes seemed pretty determined, Santana wouldn't believe it until Mercedes bags were packed and she'd left the apartment.

"Maybe she has finally realised that it's not enough to stay in a marriage"

"Certainly, worked for her for the last six months" Santana snipped, rolling her eyes "What about you, any gossip"

"Quinn and Noah are arguing a lot, living together is slowly driving them both mad"

"I get hit by a car and I still don't have the most drama going on" Santana joked, shaking her head slightly before taking some popcorn and cuddling into Rachel.

"Oh, I'm not sure about that" Rachel quipped, glancing at Santana "Heard from Danni…or Brittany"

Santana rolled her eyes "Very funny"

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Saturday Afternoon**

"MOMMY'S HOME!"

Rachel walked into the living room and caught Henry just in time as he ran over to her with his arms out. Rachel had spent Saturday morning at the office to catch up on any work she had missed while looking after Santana but just like she suspected everything was running smoothly without her.

"Hey babe, everything okay at work" Finn asked.

"Yeah apparently the place can run without me for a few days" Rachel jested, before taking a seat at the small table in the middle of her living room, she seemed her family were having a tea party while she was at work.

"Only because you taught Tina so well" Finn mused as Rose pretend to pour them all some tea from her jug into each of their plastic tea cups.

"Santana okay when you left her"

"She was fine; I think we've been driving her crazy"

After leaving the office, Rachel had made a quick stop at Santana's, but Santana had been quick to throw her out saying she had enough food and drinks to last her until the next day and that Rachel should leave before Santana threw something at her.

"Okay Daddy we need some cookies for the tea party" Rose said, giving her father a bashful smile "I think we need ten"

"How about two but its dinner first" Finn retorted, smiling at his daughter as she pouted at him. They finished their imaginary tea then Finn announced it was time for Dinner so they all made their way to the kitchen.

"You sure you want to wear that for dinner Rosie" Rachel asked, looking down at her daughter who was wearing her Frozen costume over her regular clothes.

Rose nodded, firmly "Yes"

"And you Henry" Rachel asked. Henry was wearing a Spiderman costume with the mask around his neck as it kept falling down.

"I'm Spiderman!" Henry cheered. Rachel pointed her finger at Finn as he smirked at her before they both said, "They get it from you".

 **Santana's Apartment – East Village – Saturday Afternoon**

Santana watched Quinn as she rushed around Santana's room picking up things then putting them in a different place, trying to clean things that didn't need to be cleaned. Quinn was supposed to leave half an hour before but for some reason she kept thinking of reasons to stay, and Santana had had enough.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Quinn pressed, fluffing the pillows on Santana's bed for a third time.

"I'm fine Quinn really, you should go home. I'm just going to sleep. I'll be fine until morning" Santana reasoned. Quinn had already made her something to eat and she'd just take her pain medication, so all she wanted was some peace while she slept.

"I think I should stay just in case you need something" Quinn said, worried, looking around the room for something else that needed organising or cleaning.

"Quinn is there a reason you don't want to go home" Santana asked, giving Quinn a questioning look. Quinn quickly shook her head. Santana remembered what Rachel had told her about Quinn and Puck arguing but she also knew Quinn wouldn't admit anything to her, but it would be the easiest way to get Quinn to leave.

"Of course not, I just want to make sure you're okay"

"And I told you that I am. Really I just want to rest and Mercedes will be here first thing in the morning"

"As long as you're sure" Quinn pressed.

"I am" Santana nodded "How's it going anyway, with Puck"

"Everything's fine" Quinn rushed out, not meeting Santana's eye line. Santana shook her head slightly then picked up her remote to choose something to watch while she tried to sleep.

"Good then go home to your husband" Santana argued, waving her hand to the door. Quinn reluctantly picked up her coat and bag, ready to leave.

"Okay, call me if you need anything"

Santana nodded "Will do"

Santana waited until she was sure that Quinn had left before she reached over and grabbed her phone, dialling a familiar number, and waiting for her to answer.

" _Hey this is Brittany I can't get to the phone right now but leave your message after the beep"_

 **Matt's Apartment – Upper East Side – Saturday Afternoon**

Mercedes was packing up the last of her things when Matt finally came home, obviously confused by the boxes by the front entrance he immediately went looking for Mercedes and found her in her bedroom zipping up her final suitcase.

"Mercedes? What's this?" Matt asked, looking around at the empty room.

"I'm leaving Matt, neither of us can keep putting our lives on hold like this. Not anymore. You deserve to be with the person you love Matt and so do I. I'll give you back the money. I think it's time I stood on my own two feet for a change"

"You don't have to do this Mercedes, not for me. Not after everything I put you through. I pushed this marriage because I wanted the money" Matt argued. Mercedes shook her head, she didn't want Matt to convince her to stay because she knew he might be able to, things were a lot easier for her if she just stayed with Matt, even if she didn't love him.

"And I stayed because I wanted the money, I'm just as at fault here. I could have walked away at any time but I didn't" Mercedes argued.

"This is what you really want"

Mercedes nodded "It is"

"Thank you, Mercedes, for what you did, staying with me" Matt proclaimed. Mercedes smiled at Matt, despite everything they had found some common ground and had actually managed to get along and in a strange way Mercedes was going to miss it.

"I did love you at one-point Matt"

"Me too it just …"

"Wasn't enough" Mercedes finished, Matt smiled softly at her and slowly nodded in agreement. Mercedes walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Bye Matt"

"Bye Mercedes"

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Saturday Afternoon**

After having tea party in the living room, then having some actually food for dinner the Hudson family decided to pack everything up and watch a movie together. Finn had moved the small table and chairs back into the playroom when he found his daughter at the bottom of the stairs waiting for him.

"You said I could have two cookies" Rose said, fluttering her eyelashes. Finn held in a laugh as he took his daughter hand and walked her into the kitchen.

"You drive a hard bargain Miss Rose" Finn joked, trying to sound firm. He picked Rose up and sat her on the kitchen counter before handing her a cookie.

"Can we watch Spiderman now" Henry asked, walking into the kitchen with Rachel following behind. Finn was sitting Henry next to Rose on the counter and giving him a cookie when the doorbell went.

"I'll get it" Rachel said, she moved over to the door, surprised to find her friend on the other side. "Mercedes?" Rachel said, confused before noticing a suitcase at the bottom of the steps.

"Can I stay here for a little while"


	3. 4x03 - Glee and The Housemate

**4x03 - Glee and The Housemate**

* * *

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Early Saturday Morning**

Rachel and Finn woke up early Saturday morning, two days after Mercedes had moved in, to find their house was completely silent. Usually on a Saturday morning Rose and Henry would wake up before their parents demanding to be feed or for someone to play with.

"Why isn't there a two-year-old wanting to be feed or a four-year-old jumping on our bed asking us to play" Finn wondered, as he woke up. He threw the covers off himself and got out of bed.

"I don't want to be dramatic but have our children been kidnapped" Rachel quipped as she followed Finn out of the room. They went downstairs to find their children sat at the breakfast bar as Mercedes passed them both some pancakes.

"What's all this" Rachel asked, looking around at the breakfast food that littered the kitchen counter.

"Mommy Auntie Cedes made pancakes" Rose beamed, holding up her plate "Look a smiley face"

"Wow that's lovely, did you thank her" Rachel gushed, as she took a seat next to Rose at the breakfast bar while Finn poured them both some Orange juice.

"Here you go guys and don't worry I already feed Henry and there's a load of washing in the machine" Mercedes explained, handing Finn and Rachel both a plate of pancakes and strawberries, with whipped cream and bacon.

"I didn't even know we had a washing machine" Finn whispered to Rachel as she took a seat next to her and began to eat his breakfast.

"I think it came with the house" Rachel joked, before taking a drink of the freshly squeezed juice "Mercedes, you don't have to do all this"

"It's just my way of saying thank you for letting me stay here" Mercedes smiled, as she began to clean up the kitchen.

"It's a pull-out bed in our office" Rachel dead-panned.

"These so good mommy, why don't we have this everyday" Rose wondered, looking over at her mother with a mouth full of pancakes and syrup.

"Because your daddy never bothered to learn how to cook" Rachel replied, smirking at Finn who rolled his eyes at her.

"You should daddy then we can have these everyday" Rose said, who just rolled his eyes at her as well before taking another bite of his pancakes.

Finn smiled at his daughter then turned to Mercedes "I don't think you can ever leave now Mercedes"

 **Santana's Apartment – East Village – Saturday Morning**

After having Breakfast together, Mercedes cleaned the house while Rachel played with her children before both women got ready to go over to Santana's apartment. Santana didn't need them to come around all the time now (She was fine to even go out on her own), but they still liked to check in on her and make sure she had everything she needed.

"And she did the laundry, she's a better wife to Finn than I am" Rachel laughed. She had just finished explaining to Santana and Quinn what a wonderful house guest Mercedes was being while they all sat together on Santana's sofa, enjoying their Starbucks coffee and some doughnuts from Krispy Kreme that Quinn had picked up, on her way over.

"Maybe I should be living with Mercedes instead of Noah" Quinn grumbled, through a bite a doughnut. Rachel glanced over at her.

"Is it still bad?" Rachel asked, remembering the argument Quinn had told her about the poster in NJ's room, Rachel wasn't sure if they couple had managed to reach a compromise.

"It's not bad, the apartment is so small; I think we are just getting under foot of one another" Quinn reasoned, Rachel and Santana shared a knowing look, they knew Quinn wasn't telling them everything.

"It's a learning curve, I remember when Finn and I moved in together he left his socks everywhere, it drove me crazy" Rachel said, reassuringly. Rachel and Finn had had the same problems when they moved in together and it had taken them at least 6 months to find a new rhythm with each other.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's all it is" Quinn shrugged, looking away from her friend's persistent looks.

"Can we talk about something less depressing" Santana moaned as she finished off her glazed doughnut before quickly picking up another.

"Like what, me living on Rachel's couch because my marriage is over" Mercedes argued, smirking at Santana.

"Or do you wanna talk about the accident you're still recovering from" Rachel quipped. Santana thought about it for a few minutes, not sure what else to talk about when she could see two of her friends were in no mood for small talk.

"How about we open a bottle of wine" Santana suggested, the other three women quickly agreed.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Saturday Afternoon**

After they left Santana, Mercedes and Rachel went back to Rachel's house and while Rachel set herself up in the dining room to do some work for the magazine, Mercedes flittered around the house not sure what to do with herself. Eventually she walked into the living room to find Finn stretched out on the sofa watching TV, with Henry cuddled up next to him asleep.

"Hey Finn, what you doing?" Mercedes asked, walking into the living room.

"Just watching the game" Finn replied, not looking away from the TV as he stroked his hand down Henry's back while holding his beer with the other.

"Mind if I join" Mercedes asked, Finn nodded so Mercedes joined him on the sofa. They were silent for a few minutes before Mercedes turned to Finn.

"So, who's that" Mercedes asked, Finn gave her a quick look before going back to the TV.

"Josh McCown"

Mercedes nodded, then watched the game for another few moments before asking "Who's that"

" _Matt Forte_ "

"And who does he play for" Mercedes wondered, not noticing the annoyed look on Finn's face. He knew Mercedes was probably bored but Finn lived with Rachel, who hated most sports and two children who always demanded his attention, so he liked to enjoy football in peace whenever he could.

" _The Jets_ "

"That's cool and what's happening now" Mercedes asked. Finn let out a sigh before finishing off his beer, deciding to watch the game in his bedroom.

"Here" Finn said, handing the remote to Mercedes before getting up from the sofa, taking Henry with him "I think I'm going to take a shower"

 **XoXo**

After leaving the living room because she didn't want to watch TV alone, she found herself walking into Rose's room to see the young girls Barbie's were spread out across the back wall, so Mercedes decided to tidy them all up. She had just finished when Rose walked into her bedroom and gasped when she saw what Mercedes had done.

"Aunt Cedes what you doing?" Rose gasped, gaping at the boxes full of her toys.

"I was bored, so I thought I would clean up, I reorganised your toys" Mercedes smiled widely, waving her hands at the boxes "Look"

"You put away my Barbie's" Rose whispered. Rose always kept her Barbie's out, so she could stop mid game then pick up where she left off and as long as she kept it to one side of her room, her parents didn't tell her to tidy them away. Rose had been in a middle of a Barbie Wedding when Mercedes had cleaned them away.

"I did, look how organised it is" Mercedes gushed, not noticing the helpless look on Rose's face as she looked around at her tidy room.

"But my Barbie's…"

"You okay Rosie" Mercedes asked.

"I'm going to find my Daddy" Rose stated, walking out of the room before Mercedes could say anything. Rose found her father sat on his bed watching the football game Mercedes had disturbed, with Henry sat beside him.

"Hey Rosie, what's up?" Finn asked when he noticed his daughter stood by the door with a forlorn look on her face.

"Auntie Cedes moved my Barbie's" Rose replied, shocked. Finn immediately knew why Rose looked so upset, they were all under strict orders from Rose never to touch her Barbie's.

Finn pated the space next to him on the bed "Come up here and have a cookie with me and Henry"

 **XoXo**

After leaving Rose's room, Mercedes decided to see what Rachel was doing. Rachel was in the Dining room on her laptop with papers, photos and magazines spread out across the large table. Mercedes could see Rachel was hard at work so maybe she needed a break.

"Hey Rachel, what you up to" Mercedes asked, sitting down across from Rachel at the table.

"Work" Rachel replied, eyes fixed on her laptop as she slapped Mercedes hand away when she tried to pick up a photograph from the pile in front of her.

"Well here is a drink, why don't I clean some of these papers" Mercedes suggested, handing Rachel a bottle of water she had taken from the fridge before she got up and started shuffling some papers.

"Mercedes hold it!" Rachel stated, holding her hand out "Do not touch any of these papers, they are in the order that I need them to be"

Mercedes rubbed the back of her neck, nervously "Okay, well I could help I mean – "

"Mercedes don't take this the wrong way, but I need you to leave. I have a lot of work to do" Rachel stated, briefly looking at her friend before going back to her laptop.

"Sorry just don't know what to do with myself" Mercedes sighed, throwing herself back down on the chair. Rachel stopped what she was doing and turned to her friend, sympathetically.

"Play with Henry and Rose or watch the game with Finn" Rachel suggested.

"I can't find any of them"

"Huh!" Rachel replied, confused "Well I'm going to make sure my children are still here, why don't you go watch a movie" Rachel waved her hands at the papers on the table "Don't touch any of these"

Rachel walked out of the dining room and went in search of her family, after looking in every room, Rachel walked into her bedroom to see they weren't in there either, Rachel was confused because Finn hadn't mentioned he was going out or that he was taking the kids.

"Finn!" Rachel called, she turned when she saw the ensuite door open and Finn walked out, holding Henry and Rose.

"Oh, it's just you" Finn sighed, moving back over to their bed. He put both children down then laid back onto the bed, while Rose and Henry started playing climbing over Finn as Rachel sat down at the edge of the bed.

"Finn why were you hiding in the bathroom with our children" Rachel wondered, baffled, reaching out to stop Henry when he almost fell off the bed.

"She moved my Barbie's mommy and moved Henry's things around" Rose argued.

"I just wanted to watch the game in peace" Finn added, pouting at Rachel. Rachel just rolled her eyes at her husband and daughters dramatics.

"She's just bored and doesn't know what to do with herself" Rachel reasoned.

"Why isn't she going over to Sam's to talk to him. I thought that was the reason she left Matt" Finn asked. They all assumed that once Mercedes left Matt she would go straight back to Sam, who they all knew was waiting for her. Puck and Finn were the only ones to see Sam because it was getting too hard to be around Mercedes and not be with her.

"She just needs time" Rachel shrugged, although truthfully, she didn't really know the answer.

"Okay well Puck is coming over to watch the Eagles and Seahawks game so why don't you and the girls go out for a drink" Finn suggested.

"I have so much work to do" Rachel moaned, throwing herself back on the bed, Henry took that as an opportunity to climb over his mother. Rachel tickled his stomach as he sat himself on her chest while trying to play fight with Rose.

"Well Mercedes can still go out" Finn reasoned, picking up the remote to put his football game back on.

"You're being a bad host"

Finn nodded, lamely "I'm okay with that"

Rachel rolled her eyes then passed Henry to Finn before leaving the room in search of Mercedes, she found her in the living room, sat on the sofa watching a movie and crying into a tissue.

"Hey, what you watching?" Rachel asked, coming to sit on the sofa next to Mercedes.

"The Notebook" Mercedes croaked, wiping her eyes "I needed a good cry"

"Why don't you go out with Santana tonight, you could do with some fun, a change of scenery" Rachel suggested, Rachel felt a little guilty that she was kicking her friend out for the night, but she knew if Finn got more annoyed with Mercedes, he might ask Rachel to tell Mercedes to leave.

"I suppose I do need a night out" Mercedes relented, wiping the smudged mascara from her eyes as she turned the movie off.

"Of course, you do, get dressed up, flirt with a guy. It's exactly what you need" Rachel affirmed, stroking Mercedes' arm affectionately. While still feeling a little guilty Rachel knew she would be able to get the rest of her work done if Mercedes was occupied.

"You're right, I'm going to call Sans" Mercedes smiled, taking out her phone "You wanna come"

"Too much work to do" Rachel replied, before smirking at Mercedes "Plus I have to help Rosie with her Barbie's"

Mercedes gave Rachel a confused look, Rachel shook her head "Never mind"

 **XoXo**

A few hours later, Rachel and Finn had but both their children to bed and were relaxing in their room watching a movie.

"You better have enjoyed the game since I had to kick out my friend for it" Rachel quipped, cuddling into Finn as the opening credits of _Rebel Without a Cause_ came on.

"It was certainly quiet" Finn joked, kissing Rachel's pouting lips when she scowled at him "Why hasn't she called Sam yet"

"I don't know why; I haven't asked her" Rachel replied, going back to the movie.

"Why not"

"Because I've decided to no longer get involved in Mercedes love life. She has to come to these decisions by herself. I don't want anything to come between our friendship anymore" Rachel explained. Finn nodded in understanding. Matt and Mercedes' relationship had put a lot of strain on the girl's friendship, so Finn could understand why Rachel was cautious.

The movie had just got to the part where Plato was shot outside the planetarium when Rachel and Finn heard a scream come from Rose's bedroom.

"AHHHH DADDY HELP"

Rachel and Finn jumped up and rushed to Rose's room, they found their daughter in bed screaming. They both rushed over to her and checked her over.

"Rose sweetie are you okay" Rachel asked, picking up daughter up out of bed, that's when they both noticed the strange man by the window. He was clearly drunk, he was half naked and his pants were unbuttoned.

"Woah, I thought this was the bathroom" The stranger laughed.

"Who the hell are you" Finn shouted, moving in front of Rachel and Rose. Rachel held her daughter close.

"Is Mercedes married, is this like a Big Love stich, because I could get into that" The man asked, clearly still drunk as he swayed on the spot.

"MERCEDES GET IN HERE NOW" Rachel shouted. Mercedes rushed in a few seconds later and gaped when she saw what was happening.

"Dan what are you doing?" Mercedes rushed out. She had assumed the guy she met at the bar would leave once she had fallen asleep, she had told him to do as much.

"It's Donnie. I was looking for the bathroom" Donnie replied, smiling at Mercedes, not realising the tense situation he had created.

"Time for you to leave now Dan" Finn snipped, running his hands through his hair frustrated.

"It's Don" Donnie replied.

"GET OUT" Rachel shouted, pointing to the door. Don rushed back into the office to grab his clothes before running out of the door. They waited until they could hear the front door close before the turned to Mercedes.

"Rachel…"

"We'll talk about it tomorrow" Rachel cut in, before bending down to Rose "Come on Sweetie you stay in our room tonight"

Rachel and Finn walked into their bedroom and settled Rose in their bed before getting in themselves.

"Are you going to get involved now" Finn snipped, giving Rachel a look before he turned off the bedside light and got into bed.

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Sunday Morning**

The next morning, Finn had taken Rose and Henry out for their breakfast so that Rachel could yell at Mercedes in peace. It was past 11 when Rachel realised Mercedes wasn't going to come out of her room. So, Rachel decided to intervene, she stood outside the room and pounded her hand on the door.

"GET UP WOMAN YOU CAN'T AVOID ME FOREVER" Rachel shouted through the door. She walked down stairs and into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. She had just finished when a sheepish Mercedes walked into the kitchen.

"Look Rachel I'm really sorry about last night" Mercedes apologised.

"Donny stole the Vase by our front door, you might wanna tell your little boy toy that its only worth five bucks" Rachel quipped, taking her coffee, and sitting at the breakfast bar.

"I know you're mad about bringing someone here" Mercedes started, nervously, as she rubbed her hands together.

"He scared the crap out of Rose then stole something from us" Rachel interjected, unamused. Mercedes nodded not sure what else to say. She started to make herself a drink, so she had something to do.

"I know but you were the one who told me to have some fun" Mercedes argued, lamely. Rachel gaped at her.

"I told you to go out and have a good time not invite that good time back to my house" Rachel snapped.

"I know I crossed a line"

"Mercedes, I love you, but this isn't just my house and I have little children. Little children who expect me to explain to them why Auntie Cedes had a boy over for a sleepover" Rachel reasoned, giving Mercedes a look.

"I know I really am sorry. I promise to make it up to you and to Rose for scaring her last night" Mercedes declared, she finished her coffee then sat down next to Rachel at the breakfast bar.

"Well everyone is coming over tonight for dinner, so you can clean downstairs seen as you love to tidy so much" Rachel jested, only half serious even if she did want to punish Mercedes a little for scaring Rose.

Mercedes nodded, firmly "Consider it done"

"Mercedes why haven't you called Sam" Rachel asked, carefully. Finn had been right Rachel had to get involved otherwise she head a feeling Mercedes would be sleeping on her sofa for a while.

Mercedes shrugged "I just need more time"

"Mercedes, you shouldn't feel guilty. You waited and now you can be with the man you love. I mean isn't that the reason you left Matt before he got the inheritance"

"He got his inheritance" Mercedes cut in.

"What?"

"Matt got his inheritance months ago, but I stayed because I was comfortable, I only left because I figured out he met someone, and I realised just how toxic our relationship was" Mercedes explained, she watched Rachel absorb the new information "I know what you must be thinking. That I'm selfish and got attached to money and a lifestyle that wasn't even mine"

"That wasn't what I was thinking" Rachel shook her head, although Mercedes could see it was partially a lie. Rachel and the others had always been clear about what they thought about Mercedes marrying someone for convenience.

"Well it should have been because it was what I was thinking" Mercedes admitted, leaning her head on her hand, grumpily.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Rachel wondered.

"Matt gave me some of the inheritance, it's enough for me to figure out who I want to be next. I lost so much of myself in this relationship and everything with Sam that I need to figure out who I am on my own. I guess that's why I haven't called Sam yet" Mercedes explained. Rachel nodded, of everything that Mercedes said, that made the most sense. Mercedes needed to discover who she was without a relationship.

"That actually makes a lot of sense Mercedes. You been consumed by men for so long that it's time to you see just how fabulous Mercedes Jones is all on her own" Rachel said, seriously.

"Thank you, Rachel"

The girls finished their coffee in peace before Finn and the children came home. They walked into the kitchen and Finn dropped two bags onto the counter.

"Hey guys we brought back treats from the bakery" Finn said, taking out a cake box and showing it Rachel "And the cake for tonight"

"Thank you" Rachel said, getting up from the counter to give Finn a quick kiss.

"Finn I'm sorry about last night, it will never happen again" Mercedes apologised. Finn nodded as he wrapped his arm around Rachel's shoulder and pulled her close.

"I expect you to replace that vase, it was very important to me" Finn replied, sarcastically. Mercedes smiled at the pair then looked down when she felt Rose tug on her sleeve.

"Auntie Cedes mommy helped me fix my Barbie's so I have decided to forgive you" Rose explained, before pointing her finger dramatically at Mercedes "But stay out of my room"

Mercedes nodded, firmly trying not to smile "Will do Rosie"

 **XoXo**

Mercedes stuck to her word and cleaned the whole house as an apology to Rachel and Finn, while staying clear of Rose's room. Once finished the others had arrived for dinner that Finn had picked up from the groups favourite restaurant. Once the children were settled in the play room, the adults went to the living room to eat.

"I can't believe you actually went home with that guy I mean he was wearing sunglasses indoors" Santana laughed as she helped herself to the food on the table.

"I can't believe he actually stole something; I mean didn't he have a job" Quinn added, shaking her head before taking bite of her lasagne.

"Can we please stop talking about this now" Mercedes sighed, throwing her head back. The group had been taking about Mercedes night for the last ten minutes and she was started to get very embarrassed.

"Why is so funny to hear about your love life Mercedes" Puck joked.

"Puck for good sake, can you have a little more class" Quinn snapped. Finn and Rachel shared a look, neither of them missed that Quinn had called Noah, Puck.

Puck rolled his eyes "Have we meet"

"So now that you've had one-night stand to dust out the cobwebs, are you going to call Sam now" Santana asked, looking over at Mercedes who looked away embarrassed that they were talking about her sex life with Finn and Puck in the room.

"I haven't really thought about it" Mercedes shrugged, glancing at Rachel. Rachel knew the look meant don't say anything about what they had talked about earlier. Rachel gave her a swift nod before going back to her meal.

"Why I thought that would be the first thing you did" Santana pressed, taking a sip of her wine.

"Just isn't the right time yet" Mercedes replied, going back to her meal "Can we talk about something else"

Everyone eventually spilt up and had their own conversations and enjoyed the meal, Rachel was watching Quinn and Puck closely. They weren't sitting next to each other, Quinn was calling him Puck and they had barely said two words to each other.

"Everything okay Quinn" Rachel asked, when she noticed Quinn roll her eyes at Puck for the fifth time that night.

Quinn put on a fake smile "Everything's fine"

 **XoXo**

Once the meal was finished, Quinn went to check on the kids, Rachel, Mercedes, and Santana went to get some more wine and Finn and Puck went onto the patio to enjoy a beer in the cool evening.

"Looks like you're going to be stuck with her for a little while longer" Puck mused. Puck reasoned Mercedes would stay as long as she could when she wasn't pay any rent.

"Yeah but I knew that was the case with the other two as well when I married Rachel" Finn reasoned, before taking a drink of beer. He was feeling a little under foot by Mercedes, and what had happened the night before hadn't helped, but Mercedes was also going through a lot and needed some time to decompress.

"You're a bigger man than me Finnence" Puck joked, slapping Finn on the back.

"Hey man how are things with you and Quinn" Finn asked. Rachel had told Finn about Puck and Quinn arguing and Finn had been surprised that despite his rant about the poster a week before Puck had mentioned anything.

"She told Rachel about our arguments" Puck realised, shaking his head "We just getting under foot with one another, don't worry man its fine"

"Are you sure?" Finn pressed, Puck didn't usually keep things from Finn and Finn wasn't sure why he was now.

Puck nodded "Yeah course everything will be fine"

 **XoXo**

Eventually everyone left, Rose and Henry were in bed and Rachel and Finn were once again laid out on their bed relaxing. They had been making out for a few minutes when Rachel crawled on Finn's lap and began kissing down his neck while his hands ran down her back and over her bum. Finn was just about to take off Rachel's top when he heard a strange noise coming from their office.

"Is that what I think it is" Finn wondered, shaking his head in slight disgust and annoyance.

"Mercedes snores after drinking wine" Rachel stated, pulling her t-shirt back down, Mercedes snores had put a damper on their romantic mood.

"How long is she planning on staying here" Finn sighed, as Rachel moved off his lap and cuddled in next to him.

"Did I ever tell you that you're my favourite person in the whole world" Rachel gushed, wrapping her arms around Finn's middle and kissing him on the jaw.

"That long huh"

Rachel gave Finn another kiss as Henry and Rose walked into their room, both still in their pyjamas looking very tired.

"What are you two doing out of bed" Rachel asked, pulling herself away from Finn to sit up.

"Auntie Cedes is loud!" Rose moaned, she took Henry's hand and walked further into the room.

"Come on up guys" Finn said, helping Rose and Henry up onto the bed, Finn moved into the middle and settled Henry and Rose next to him as Rachel turned off the bedside light. They all tried to go to sleep but they could all still hear the loud snores from the next room.

"She has two weeks, tops" Finn said as he put his hand over his ears.

Rachel gave Finn a quick kiss, before cuddling into him "I love you"


	4. 4x04 - Glee and The Birthday Meltdown

**Episode 4 - Glee and The Birthday**

* * *

 **The Diner – Park Avenue – Wednesday Afternoon**

"You look beat, Rachel" Quinn noted as the waitress passed them all their lunch orders. While Santana and Mercedes were immediately tucking into their food Rachel had her head leaned against her hand and looked like she couldn't keep her eyes open.

"Just a long night" Rachel shrugged off as she sat up and started eating her lunch, not wanting to bore her friends with how Henry had kept her up all night because they'd accidentally let him see a film that was too scary from him and now the three-year-old was convinced a monster lived in his closet.

So, the girls ate in silence for a few minutes until Santana put down her fork and glanced over at the others, with an expected and determined look.

"So, what are we doing for Mercedes birthday" Santana asked. Quinn and Rachel smiled at Mercedes when she let out a loud groan. Mercedes had never been one to celebrate her birthday because she never liked getting older and they knew the year she was going through a divorce wouldn't be any different.

"We don't have to do anything, really I'm fine skipping it this year" Mercedes argued. Santana rolled her eyes at her.

"You say this every year and every year we ignore you" Santana replied "Let's go somewhere fabulous this weekend, I got a weekend pass to a spa from one of my clients and it's supposed to be amazing"

"Quinn and I can't this weekend" Rachel commented "Finn and Noah are going to a conference in Atlantic City this weekend"

"A conference in Atlantic city is that a euphemism for something" Santana quipped. Mercedes smirked at her then glanced at Rachel who was rolling her eyes.

"Finn and Noah have to go to a conference, it's this big workshop where schools come together to share idea and get talks from other academics to help improve learning and this year it's in Atlantic City" Rachel explained. While Finn was usually able to get out of the conference this year he hadn't been able to because it was Puck's turn to go and he had told Finn he wasn't going to suffer through it alone.

"Okay that's Finn and Puck but why do you have to go" Santana wondered. Rachel wasn't sure why Santana was so bothered when it wasn't even her birthday they were celebrating.

"Because they asked us to come, it might be fun" Rachel replied.

"It's Atlantic City, trust me it won't be" Santana grumbled as she stabbed her fork into her pasta dish.

"We can always do something next weekend" Quinn reasoned.

"But then it won't be Mercedes's actually birthday" Santana argued. Rachel and Quinn shared a look, they knew Finn and Puck wouldn't let them out of going to Atlantic City, especially after already telling their children they were going.

"Well no celebration is fine with me; you guys are busy and I don't feel there is anything to celebrate so that's fine" Mercedes smiled. Santana stared at her wide eyed, she knew Mercedes didn't like her birthday but Santana didn't think she would give up so easily.

Santana sighed dejectedly then went back to her lunch, the others shared a look noticing Santana's sullen mood.

"Santana what's the big deal, we can just do something next weekend" Rachel argued.

Santana nodded at her lamely "Looks like we'll have to"

 **Rachel's Office – Broadway Star Offices – Wednesday Afternoon**

After lunch with her friends Rachel went back to her office, she had to finalise everything for the cover shoot the next day but all she could think about was Santana's reaction to them not celebrating Mercedes's birthday. Rachel wasn't sure what to make of it, she didn't understand why Santana was so upset about it and Santana refused to say anything more for the rest of the lunch.

"I think we should go for the green dress, as a homage to her character on Wicked" Sarah, the assistant stylist at Broadway Star told Rachel as she showed her the green dress from the rail of clothes in front of Rachel. Idina Menzel was going to be on the cover of Broadway Star and because it was an important cover Rachel wanted everything run by her first.

"If people don't know who she played on Wicked, they shouldn't be reading my magazine" Rachel quipped, she didn't want to sound short with her staff but she had already had a long day. "Show me the Marc Jacobs one"

Sarah was showing Rachel another dress when Tina walked into the office.

"Rachel, Santana is on line 2" Tina told her. Rachel shook her head, she'd been waiting for the call since she left the Diner, she'd already ignored 6 calls from her on her cell.

"Tell her I'm busy and I'll call her back" Rachel replied before going back to the clothes rail.

"She said it's important, a code five"

"Fine, I'll use your phone, everyone stay here I'll be back in a minute" Rachel instructed as she walked out of her office. She took a seat at Tina's desk and picked up the phone. "You better be dying, what is so important"

" _Why aren't you answering your cell"_

"Because I'm busy at work Santana, what is it?" Rachel snipped. She leaned back on Tina's chair and looked out over the large office floor.

" _I've been thinking about Mercedes Birthday, it's not right that we're not doing something" S_ antana argued. Rachel sat up straight again and rubbed circles into her forehead.

"We never said we weren't going to do anything, we're just busy this weekend. And Mercedes said she wasn't bothered anyway"

" _She only said that because she thinks we don't care, we have to show her we do"_

"And we will, we'll just do it next weekend" Rachel quipped.

" _This is how it starts you know, we miss a birthday then before you know it we're only seeing each other once a month then just at Christmas then not at all"_ Santana argued. Rachel was startled for a moment, not sure why Santana was making such a big deal about a birthday.

"Santana, you're never this dramatic. We can't do anything this weekend but we'll go big next weekend. Now I have to get back to work and I'm sure you do too" Rachel said, she got up from the desk ready to put the phone down.

" _I'm not dropping this"_

"I didn't think you would" Rachel mused before putting down the phone. She walked back into her office and took a seat at her desk, nobody had moved since she had left them. "Okay where were we"

 **Rachel and Finn's House - West Village - Wednesday Evening**

"I don't understand this show, they are pigs but they are having bacon for breakfast"

"Mommy can we have some bacon" Henry asked looking up at Rachel. Rachel wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close.

"How much can you fit in there, kid, we just had dinner" Rachel said tickling Henry's stomach.

"You are silly mommy" Henry laughed from his seat on Rachel's lap, Rachel tickled him for a few seconds then they went back to watching Peppa Pig. Finn and Rose were sat next to them on large sofa reading through an American Girl book. Rose had recently got a new doll to add to her collection and the book had come with it. Rose had decided her father had to read it to her every night because he was the best at it.

The family had had dinner at an Italian restaurant around the corner form their house, and then decided to have a quiet night at home, Rachel was tired from her busy day of work and fielding Santana's calls all day.

"Okay that's the third time tonight, no more" Finn instructed as he closed the book. He put it on the coffee table as Rose snuggled into her father, Finn could see she was tired otherwise she would have fought him for another story.

"One more mommy" Henry pleaded when Pappa Pig finished. He pouted at Rachel, she smiled at him then put on another episode. The family were watching telly for a few minutes when Rachel phone started to ring. She reached across to the coffee table to answer it, already knowing who it was.

"What is it now Santana" Rachel asked, annoyed. She had been getting messages from Santana for most of the day about Mercedes's birthday and Rachel was getting sick of it.

" _Okay Mercedes has agreed to go out for her birthday as long as we don't mention her age or the sad state of her life her words not mine and Quinn said she's willingly to talk to Puck about Atlantic City if you run it by Finn first"_ Santana explained. Rachel rolled her eyes then glanced over at Finn.

"Santana's hellbent on us doing something for Mercedes birthday this weekend, how much would you kill me if I skipped on Atlantic City" Rachel asked Finn.

"Why don't they just come with us, I'm sure Santana and Mercedes can get a room last minute" Finn suggested. Rachel pulled the phone away from her ear when she heard Santana shouting.

"YES, YES WE'RE THERE"

Rachel gave Santana the details for the hotel and then hastily put down the phone before Santana could make more plans for the weekend.

"What do think this is all about, I didn't think Santana would be so excited for Atlantic City" Finn mused as he moved Rose onto his lap in a more comfortable position as the five-year-old had fallen asleep. Rachel turned on another Peppa Pig episode for Henry before turning to Finn.

"I really have no idea, Mercedes wasn't even bothered to celebrate. I have no doubt we'll find out this weekend"

Finn shook his head slightly "Well this conference just got more interesting"

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Friday Afternoon**

"Henry I won't ask you again put on the jacket" Rachel scolded Henry as she held out her son's coat for him. The family of four was getting ready to leave for Atlantic City, Finn was driving them there the night before the conference began so he and Puck could have a fresh start in the morning.

"I don't wanna wear it mommy" Henry whined throwing himself on the floor. Henry had been difficult all day and Rachel wasn't looking forward to a two-hour car drive with a whining toddler.

"Henry it's cold outside, put on the jacket" Rachel pressed, she put the jacket next to Henry on the floor just as Finn walked into the reception area with their suitcases and Rose following behind tightly holding three of her American Girl dolls.

"Is Henry being naughty again?" Rose asked as she watched her brother rolling around on the floor. Henry stopped suddenly and looked crossly at his sister.

"I'm not naughty, mommy tell her" Henry cried. Before Rachel could say anything Rose and Henry both started shouting at each other waving their hands around like only young children could. Rachel looked helplessly at Finn, he moved the suitcases to the front door then picked Henry and moved him away from Rose.

"Rose, it's not nice to yell at your brother now please go put on your jacket and I've already told you that you can only take one doll with you" Rachel told her daughter firmly. Without another word, Rose stormed back upstairs to put away two of her dolls. Rachel took that as a win then walked over to Finn and Henry where Finn was helping Henry put on his jacket while Henry sobbed loudly.

"I'm sorry mommy" Henry cried reaching out for Rachel. Once his jacket was on Rachel picked up Henry and settled him on her hip. Henry wrapped his arms tightly around Rachel and laid is head on her shoulder.

"What's with him?" Rachel asked Finn over Henry's head. Finn shrugged as he put on his own jacket, ready to leave.

"I have no idea, I didn't even say anything to him before he started crying"

"Maybe he's on his period" Rachel quipped just as Rose came marching back downstairs, her coat on and just one doll in her hand. With Henry, still on her hip Rachel took Rose's hand and helped them both outside and into the car. Finn was putting their cases into the boot of the car when a taxi pulled up and the Puckerman Family got out. Finn and Rachel both noticed Puck and Quinn looked tense and it became clear to them both that the couple had been arguing. Puck helped Finn with the cases while Quinn strapped NJ into the third car seat.

"Is everything okay" Finn whispered to Puck as they secured all the luggage.

"Yeah everything fine" Puck shrugged off. He closed the boot of the car then got into the passenger seat. Finn walked over to Rachel who was locking up the house, he checked to make sure the car doors were closed so no one could hear them then turned back to his wife.

"What do you think is up with them?"

"Maybe they are on their period as well" Rachel joked, although it wasn't hard for her to see something was clearly going on with Puck and Quinn.

"Oh, this weekend is going to be a nightmare" Finn groaned before they both got into the car. As Rachel felt her phone vibrate with another text from Santana, she couldn't help but agree.

 **Skyline Inn Hotel – Atlantic City – Friday Evening**

Three hours later, after a tense car drive, the Hudson and Puckerman families arrived at their hotel at the same time as Mercedes and Santana who had taken the Greyhound down because Santana didn't want to be stuck in the car with children. The group all checked in and while Finn and Puck went to get their schedule for their first day at the conference the woman and children took a walk around the hotel.

The hotel wasn't as bad as Rachel had been expecting, she had never been to Atlantic City, but her mother had once told her how much she loved it, so Rachel knew it wouldn't be to her taste but as she looked around, she noticed a spa and a huge pool, a few nice restaurants and even a lounge that had entertainment, as well as a large casino. She felt she could have a relaxing weekend at the hotel even with two children clinging to her arm.

"So, when are we going to start celebrating Mercedes birthday" Santana asked as she nodded her head over at a bar that had a patio area by the pool.

"First, we need to feed the little ones and get them settled" Rachel said as she picked up Henry who was reaching his arms out for her, she settled him then looked back at Santana who did not look happy.

"Can't Puck and Finn do that, I thought we were here for Mercedes birthday" Santana argued.

"We're here because you forced me to come, I don't feel like celebrating my birthday" Mercedes moaned. She had only agreed to go because Santana had paid for her room and threatened bodily harm if she didn't.

"I could use a break, I'll go for a drink" Quinn mused, moving NJ from one hip to another as the three-year-old was already asleep.

"Quinn's in, Rachel?" Santana asked just as Finn and Puck walked over to them. Puck took NJ from Quinn and she smiled shyly at him, it was the first interaction they had since they had arrived at Finn and Rachel's.

"You wanna go up to the room and just order room service, it's gonna be a long day tomorrow" Finn asked Rachel, Henry was already falling asleep in Rachel's arms and Rose was leaning against Finn's leg.

"That sounds like a good idea" Rachel agreed before turning to the others "Rain check? We can celebrate tomorrow when the guys are busy"

Santana nodded firmly then watched Finn and Rachel leave with their children before glancing at the others. "What about you guys?"

"Actually, I think we need to get NJ down, and then Puck and I need to uhhh… talk" Quinn stuttered, Santana knew that really meant they had to make up from whatever they had been fighting about. Santana finally turned to Mercedes when Puck and Quinn went to their room.

"What about you, no kids, or husbands that you need to take care of" Santana quipped, Mercedes rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"No there isn't" Mercedes sighed "I think I'm going to just relax in my room tonight, I'll see you in the morning"

Before she realised Santana was left alone in the hotel lobby, she let out a loud sigh then decided to just go to the bar alone.

 **Hotel Pool – Skyline Inn – Saturday Morning**

"Somebody looks a little rough" Mercedes noted as she glanced at Santana who was nursing a large cup of coffee, she had large sunglasses on despite the mild day and her hair was like a bird's nest on the top of her head.

The girls were having breakfast by the hotel pool with the children, the guys were already in one of the hotel conference rooms listening to one of the many lectures of the weekend. The others had been enjoying their breakfast when Santana had practically crawled over to them and cautiously laid down on one of the loungers and curled up into a ball.

"Well when you guys ditched me last night, I had to have fun by myself and ended up having a few drinks to many" Santana groaned. Rose looked at her strangely.

"Is Auntie Sans sick" Rose asked her mother.

"Auntie Sans had too many grown up drinks last night" Rachel answered, Rose nodded then glanced back at her auntie.

"You should stop drinking them Auntie Sans, they make you sick" Rose said before going back to her breakfast. Rachel smiled at her daughter and kissed her head gently.

"So, when are we going to get out and see what Atlantic City has to offer, I mean I haven't even gambled yet" Santana said, she slowly sat up on the lounger and looked at her friends through her glasses.

"Santana, we have three young children with us, I think the day is going to be spent looking around the shops or at the pool" Rachel stated. Santana rolled her eyes, she had hoped the girls would be able to do something more exciting while in Atlantic City.

"What about the guys can't they watch them" Santana asked before taking another huge drink of her coffee.

"The guys are going to be in conference room A for most of the day, they came here for work" Quinn answered as she wiped the oatmeal covering NJ's face. The young boy was wiggling around as he was eager to get in the pool.

"Why don't you two have a go on the slot machines and we'll meet you for lunch later" Rachel suggested. She could see Santana wasn't going to be happy spending the day by the pool despite how hungover she felt.

"It has to be all four of us!" Santana demanded.

"Mommy, I wanna go in the pool" NJ cheered as he pulled on Quinn's arm. Quinn nodded at him then turned back to Santana.

"We need to get the little ones in the pool" Quinn said cautiously, noting Santana's face and tone. Santana let out a sigh and laid back down on the lounger and wrapped one of the towels over her face. The girls decided to let Santana sulk for a while and took the children into the pool, they would deal with Santana later.

 **Hotel Restaurant – Skyline Inn Hotel – Saturday Evening**

"I have never been so bored in my entire life; the guy spoke about proper chalk board methods for twenty minutes. We don't even use chalk boards anymore" Puck ranted to the group. After a long day of listening to boring lectures Puck needed to vent about it. The group were having dinner at one of the restaurant in their hotel after the girls spent the day by the pool with the kids and the guys listened to four different lectures as part of the conference.

"Are you guys at least getting paid to be here" Mercedes wondered as she bounced Henry on her knee while he watched a Disney movie on Finn's iPad.

"They consider paying for travel and hotel as payment enough" Finn answered before taking a drink of his Budweiser.

"Seems like you guys could use a quiet night in your hotel room, watching sports and playing with your children" Santana reasoned with a smile, although they could all see through it. Rachel shared a look with Finn, she had told him already about how much Santana wanted the girls to go out without the children or husbands.

"What's it worth to ya" Puck smirked at Santana. Santana sat up straightener and stared straight at Puck.

"Give me tonight and I'll be on babysitting duties for the next month" Santana stated, she saw that Finn and Puck were still unconvinced, so she added "And I'll get you both courtside seats to the next Knicks game"

Finn and Puck shared a look then nodded at Santana "Come on kids we're going up to the room, you can order all the room service you want, it's on Auntie Sans" Finn smiled as he got up from the table. He picked up Henry from Mercedes' lap then held on to Rose's hand before leaning down to give Rachel a sweet kiss.

"Thank you husband" Rachel smiled at Finn then kissed him again before he, Puck and the kids left the table and made their way back to the rooms.

"Thank god, now we can have some real fun" Santana cheered as she called the waitress over to order them all another drink.

The girls all moved over to a smaller table as the waitress brought them their drinks. Santana drank half of hers in one go then let out a cheer.

"Now we can start celebrating Mercedes' birthday"

"My birthday isn't until tomorrow and I told you I'm not celebrating" Mercedes told her as she took a sip of her own drink.

"Fine we can celebrate the four of us being together" Santana shrugged.

"We're together all the time" Rachel quipped, rolling her eyes. She still didn't understand Santana incessant need for them to all be together.

"Not lately" Santana whispered as she took another drink, however Rachel heard her.

 **Hotel Bar – Skyline Inn Hotel – Saturday Night**

An hour later the girls had moved out of the restaurant and into another bar in the hotel, Santana said she wanted a few more drinks before they went to the casino.

"So, Mercedes you gonna tell us why you don't wanna celebrate your birthday this year" Quinn asked as she took a drink of her cocktail. While Mercedes usually didn't want to celebrate her birthday, she seemed even more determined not to than usual.

"What do I have to celebrate, I'm getting divorced, I'm sleeping on my friend's couch and Sam isn't taking any of my calls" Mercedes said, sadly.

"Mercedes, you know I don't mind having you there" Santana said. After living with Rachel for two weeks Mercedes had moved in with Santana when she could see you was getting under foot at the Hudson residence.

"I know you don't but I need to get my life together before I feel like celebrating getting older" Mercedes mused. They girls all looked at Mercedes sympathetically, they knew there was nothing they could say to her. After a tough year, Mercedes had to be the one to help herself after relying on someone else to take care of her for so long.

"We're still here though for whatever you need" Quinn said, firmly as she took Mercedes' hand in her own.

"I know you are but this is something I need to do for myself" Mercedes affirmed before taking a drink.

"Where does Sam fit in to all of this" Rachel asked. The last time she had really spoken to Mercedes she had was thinking about getting back in touch with Sam but Mercedes had yet to do it.

"I'm really not sure, it's probably a good thing that Sam isn't returning my calls, it's not fair to drag him into my baggage again" Mercedes admitted with a sad smile.

"But its great baggage, like Louis Vitton baggage" Rachel smirked, Santana and Quinn nodded in firm agreement.

"If you say so"

"We do say so" Quinn affirmed. Mercedes gave her a sad nod then drank the rest of her cocktail. Santana looked at them all and rolled her eyes.

"Well this got depressing quickly" Santana quipped, Rachel playfully nipped her arm.

"When it's your birthday we can do what you want, until then zip it" Rachel argued. Santana rolled her eyes as Quinn rose from the table.

"Why don't I get us all a drink" Quinn suggested.

"I'll help you" Rachel said. The two went to the bar and ordered another round of drinks, while they waited Rachel cautiously turned to Quinn.

"So how are you and Noah" Rachel asked, trying to sound casual.

"We're fine" Quinn shrugged, but she didn't look at Rachel, instead she was watching the bartender make their drinks.

"You seemed tense yesterday, have you been fighting" Rachel pressed. A part of her knew Quinn wouldn't tell her but she had to make sure that Quinn also knew that Rachel was there for her.

"Every couple argues Rachel, even a couple as perfect as you and Finn. It is what couples do, we're fine" Quinn stated, firmly. Before Rachel could say anything else the Bartender handed Quinn their tray of drinks and she stalked back to their table. Rachel shook her head before joining them back at the table. She chose to ignore Quinn's comment about her and Finn as she took her seat. Quinn lashed out when she felt cornered and Rachel should have expected it.

Rachel was pulled from her thoughts when she heard her cell phone, she fished it out of her bag to see that it was Finn calling her.

"Hey Finn what's up" Rachel asked, ignoring Santana telling her 'no husbands'.

" _Rose has been throwing up and she's asking for you"_

"Oh no, is she okay" Rachel asked, worried as Rose had been fine just an hour before.

" _Maybe it's something she's eaten, she's mostly drying heaving now and it's not pleasant for her_ "

"Okay, I'll be right there" Rachel put down the phone then glanced at Santana who was sending her a pressing look.

"Rose is throwing up, I need to go back to the room" Rachel said as she collected her bag.

"But it's only been an hour" Santana argued, Quinn and Mercedes set her confused looks. They thought Santana would know that Rose being sick came first.

"Rose is sick Santana!"

"Finn's there I'm sure he can handle it. We haven't had a night just the four of us in so long, this is how it starts. We can't get to together for birthdays then before you know it we're only seeing each other once a month then not at all" Santana argued before finishing off the rest of her beer. She slammed it back on the table while the others looked at her confused.

"I can't talk about this right now" Rachel sighed, she still had her bag in her hand but didn't make a move to get up from her seat.

"Of course, you can't, everything is changing and you guys don't even care"

"It's not that I don't care Santana but right now I have a sick daughter and no matter what is going on that will always come first" Rachel argued, Santana huffed and looked away from her "I'll talk to you guys tomorrow"

 **Rachel and Finn's Hotel Room – Skyline Hotel – Saturday Night**

"Oh, sweetie I know it's not nice but just keep sipping the water and you'll feel better"

Rachel helped Rose take a sip of water then continued to slowly rock her in her arms from where they laid out on the bathroom floor. Finn was sat next to them holding a damp cloth so Rose's forehead. Rose had stopped throwing up but instead was dry heaving which was upsetting the four-year-old even as her parents coddled her.

"My tummy hurts mommy" Rose cried as she buried her head into Rachel's chest.

"I no sweetie but the medicine should kick in soon" Rachel soothed Rose. Rachel had luckily been able to find some children's Calpol for Rose and she hoped it would kick in soon because seeing Rose so upset wasn't pleasant for Rachel and Finn either.

Eventually, after a few more sessions of dry heaving, the medicine kicked in and Rose finally fell asleep in her mother's arms. The couple stayed in the bathroom just in case Rose woke up needing to throw up again.

"So how was your night before all this" Finn asked as he got a little more comfortable on the bathroom floor.

"It's was depressing for lack of a better word. First Mercedes was upset about the divorce and everything that's happened which is understandable but then Santana also started on about how things were changing and sooner or later we won't see each other anymore" Rachel explained. She knew that soon she would need to sit down and talk to Santana about how she was feeling but at that moment all Rachel cared about was making sure her daughter was okay.

"It's always something with your friends isn't it" Finn mused, with a slight smile. "What do you think is going on her with her?"

"I have no idea, maybe it's the accident or Brittany. I'll talk to her properly when we get back to New York" Rachel sighed as she softly played with Rose's hair.

"I know it's a taboo subject with your friends especially with Santana and Mercedes but maybe you guys need to acknowledge that things are changing between you all" Finn reasoned, he leaned his head back on the bath tub as he continued "We have children now, so do Quinn and Puck. The most important thing in your life can't be each other anymore not when you have little ones to think about. But if you make sure that Santana and Mercedes know that the bond between you all won't change and that you'll be there for the important things then I'm sure they will understand"

"Your very wise husband" Rachel laughed. She realised that Finn was absolute right, things were different than they were five years before. Before Rachel would drop everything even if her friends told her they had a hair emergency but now she had children to think about and worry about before she thought about her friends.

"It's all these seminars, I'm very wise now" Finn joked. Rachel moved Rose gently in her arms as she put her head onto Finn's shoulder and enjoyed the silence. After a few minutes of comfortable silence in each other's arms, Finn looked down at Rose still sleeping in Rachel's arms.

"Think we can risk moving her" Finn wondered. Rachel nodded and gently passed Rose to Finn. He held her close and slowly carried his daughter into the other room and put her down gently on her bed. Rachel pulled the covers back and but a sheet over Rose so that Rose wouldn't get too warm in the night. The parents let out a sigh of relief when Rose didn't wake up then both fell onto their own bed.

Finn turned to Rachel and he could tell she was still thinking about her friends. "Santana and Mercedes will be fine Rachel, you know that. You'd never let them be anything but fine"

"You're right, I know your right" Rachel agreed.

Even though Finn and Rachel were both still fully dressed they found themselves slowly falling asleep but just as they were about drift off Rose jumped off her bed.

"I'm going to be sick Mommy" Rose cried running into the bathroom. Finn and Rachel both jumped off and followed her into the bathroom.

 **Hotel Bar – Skyline Inn Hotel – Saturday Night**

"Okay, you gonna tell me why I'm the one getting older but you're the one who's depressed" Mercedes quipped as she put a bottle of beer in front of Santana. Once Rachel had gone back to her hotel room, Quinn had had two more drinks before going to her own room leaving just Santana and Mercedes in the bar to drown their sorrows with alcohol.

"You know I used to get so mad at you for saying things were different now that Quinn and Rachel had kids but I don't know maybe you were right. I mean look how much it took just to get us all together for your birthday" Santana argued before taking a drink of her beer.

"You are making too big a deal about my birthday Santana, it was one time and look we didn't let it pass. We're all together"

"Hardly, the other two are with their husbands and children" Santana grumbled. Mercedes smirked at her.

"You're being a big baby, Rose was sick. Our only niece with her cute dimples and curly hair was puking her guts out and wanted her mommy. Did you really expect Rachel to stay down here with us having a drink?" Mercedes argued giving Santana a pressing look. Santana sighed before taking another drink.

"I guess not, I just don't wanna lose you guys. You're all I have" Santana admitted, sadly.

"And we're not going anywhere"

"Aren't we all at some point though. What if they have more kids? Or they decide to move to a bloody cul-de-sac or they start hanging out with other couples who have kids as well. Things are changing and we'd be stupid to continue ignoring it" Santana argued. Mercedes wasn't sure what to say, she didn't know why Santana suddenly felt that way and she wondered if it was because of Santana's accident, something she had only just fully healed from.

"Santana – "

"Save it, please I know you're going to say something to cheer me up but I really don't want to be cheered up right now, I just want to feel like this" Santana sighed before finishing off the rest of her beer.

"So, what, do you just want to sit here in silence, drinking" Mercedes quipped, Santana nodded firmly.

"Pretty much yeah"

"Happy birthday to me" Mercedes laughed, she leaned back in her chair and picked up her drink. After a few minutes of silent drinking Mercedes reached over and took Santana's hand in her own. Mercedes knew Santana didn't want to talk but Mercedes wanted her to know she was there. Santana didn't say anything but she held onto Mercedes' hand tightly.

 **Hotel Restaurant – Skyline Inn Hotel – Sunday Morning**

The next day after spending the night on the bathroom fall with Rose, Finn and Rachel made their way into the Food Hall at the hotel for breakfast. Rose was felling a lot better but was still very clingy with her parents and wanted to be held all the time and so he wasn't left out Henry wanted to be held. So, as they walked into the restaurant to find their friends Finn and Rachel each had a child on their hip.

"There they are" Finn said nodding his head to the table in the corner. Finn hiked Rose further up his hip as he walked over to the table. The others said a quick hello to the family and all noticed the weak look on Rose's face as she laid her head on her father's chest as he took a seat at the table.

"Rough night" Quinn asked, sympathetically. Rachel and Finn both nodded their head and Quinn noticed the dark circles under their eyes.

"Well you'll be happy to know that I got us out of the lectures today" Puck said through a mouth full of bacon. Quinn rolled her eyes but Puck didn't notice.

"How did you manage that?" Finn asked as he tried to pour himself some coffee with Rose sat on his lap.

"I told them you had a sick daughter that you needed to take home"

"How does that get you home" Finn wondered, he poured his drink then tried to lean over the table so he could reach a piece of toast but Rose was having none of it as she snuggled further into Finn.

"I'm the very concerned Uncle who has to help you" Puck smirked, Finn rolled his eyes although he was pleased he didn't have another long day of boring lectures.

The table ate in silence for the next few minutes, despite their children sitting on their laps Finn and Rachel were able to eat some breakfast and feed their children as well. Once he had finished Finn shared a look with Puck, they both could see that the girls were in some sort of argument and that they needed space to talk.

"You finished Puck, I think I'm gonna stretch my legs, you coming" Finn asked as he got up from the table taking Henry and Rose with him. Puck picked up NJ and followed Finn without another word from either of them.

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she watched them leave the restaurant "Subtle them two aren't they"

"We should talk though" Quinn said cautiously, she took a drink of her tea as Santana and Rachel stared at each other, waiting for the other to start talking. Eventually Rachel broke the silence.

"I'm not going to apologise for leaving last night. You know I love you guys but my children will always come first and I'm not going to apologise for that" Rachel argued. Santana nodded solemnly which surprised Rachel, she had been expecting some kind of argument from Santana for her leaving the night before.

"You're right, I over reacted last night, Rose was sick of course you had to leave" Santana replied. The others shared a look they could see that something was still bothering Santana. She'd made a bigger deal about them all being together for Mercedes' birthday because she didn't want to face what was truly worrying her.

"I hope you know Santana that while things may have changed in the last few years the one thing that never will is the bond we all share. You guys are just as much my soulmates as Finn is. And if you ever needed us we are always going to be there, you know that right" Rachel explained, she leaned across the table and took Santana's hand in her own.

"I do know that" Santana nodded "It's just nice to be reminded sometimes"

 **The Boardwalk – Atlantic City – Sunday Morning**

After enjoying their breakfast together, where they had the waiter bring them a piece of chocolate cake so they could sing 'Happy Birthday' very loudly to Mercedes, the girls went to the Boardwalk to meet up with the guys and the children so they could have some fun at the pier before they all drove home.

"There they are" Mercedes pointed over to where the guys were playing arcade games in the outdoor arcade while Rose, Henry and NJ watched on.

"Hey, you guys kiss and make up now" Puck asked when she saw the girls approach. His two second distraction made Finn win the game they were playing, Finn cheered loudly while Puck grumbled as he put the pretend gun back in the holster.

"You owe us all some ice cream" Finn smirked as he picked Rose up while Rachel took hold of Henry's hand. Puck rolled his eyes and then lead them out of the arcade and over to the ice cream shop.

Twenty minutes later Rachel and Finn were sat on one of the many benches on the pier enjoying their ice cream. Henry was sat next to Rachel with strawberry ice cream all over his face from his own cone while Rose was still sat on her father's lap her head tucked into his chest. The parents knew Rose was obviously still not feeling great when she didn't even say yes to cookie dough flavoured ice cream.

"So is everything okay now, between you guys" Finn wondered once he had finished off his mint chocolate chip ice cream.

"I think so yeah, although I can see something is bothering Santana. I don't think she'd ever admit it but I think she's feeling a little bit lonely. Brittany and Danni are both out of the picture and when we were all too busy for Mercedes' birthday I think she thought that meant she was on her own now" Rachel explained, they more she thought about it, the more it made sense to her. They had all been at Santana's house around the clock since her accident but now that Santana was fully healed they had gone back to their own lives and Santana was probably now feeling the physiological effects of her accident and its aftermath.

"What are you going to do?" Finn asked as he watched Rachel wipe the ice cream from Henry's face then pull him into her lap.

"I have an idea"

"You always do" Finn smiled at Rachel but he saw that she was distracted by something in front of her. Finn turned to see what she was looking at and saw Quinn and Puck having yet another argument while Mercedes played with NJ in the distance.

"Do you think they are okay" Rachel asked, worried. Finn continued to watch as Puck threw his hand up in annoyed defeat then walked away from Quinn. Quinn turned away from her, saw that Finn and Rachel had seen the argument then quickly turned back and followed after Puck.

Finn continued to watch them "I honestly have no idea"


	5. 4x05 - Glee and The Interference

**Hey Guys**

 **Thank you for the lovely reviews :) They really make my day and m** **otivate** **me to carry on. Here's another chapter for you - Also a lot of the legal stuff in this is made up to fit my plot (Don't hold it against me).**

 **Let me know what you think :D**

 **Happy Reading**

* * *

 **4x05 - Glee and The Interference**

* * *

 **Quinn and Puck's Apartment – Upper East Side – Wednesday Morning**

Three weeks after the groups weekend at Atlantic City, everyone's lives were relatively back to normal. Santana was ready to go back to work, Mercedes had found an apartment to rent and Quinn and Puck were still arguing about mundane things. Quinn was starting to feel like all she did was nag Puck and he felt like he was constantly on egg shells in his own apartment and that his opinion didn't matter.

As Quinn got ready for work, she was once again arguing with Puck about his inability to put his clothes away when he took them off at night.

"I just don't understand why you can't put things away when you've done with them" Quinn argued as she sat on their bed to slip on her heels. While she couldn't see him, she knew Puck was rolling his eyes at her.

"Quinn I'm in a rush, can you yell at me for this when I get home from work" Puck snipped, roughly throwing on his wind-breaker.

"I'd rather not have to yell at you at all" Quinn exclaimed, spinning around to face Puck. Puck coarsely ran his hands through his hair as he sighed heavenly.

"So, would I"

"Then you should put things away" Quinn grumbled, as she hastily picked up her bag, while ignoring the looks Puck was giving her.

"Or you could stop being uptight all the time" Puck snapped, although he instantly regretted it. He didn't want to always argue with Quinn but sometimes his anger got the better of him.

"Really nice Noah!"

"I'm just tired of having the same fight over and over again" Puck sighed, throwing his head. Neither Puck or Quinn were sure how they had got to this place, and they weren't sure how to get back to the way they were. They knew the first year of marriage was the hardest but they didn't think it would as bad as it had been.

"And you don't think I am"

"It's every little thing with you Quinn, can you ever let things go"

"Daddy I'm ready to go?" NJ said, coming into his parent's room, and interrupting their fight. Quinn and Puck share a hard look before Puck turned to NJ with a smile on his face.

"Come on Buddy, let's go" Puck said, taking NJ's hand before glancing back at Quinn "We can talk later"

 **The Diner – Park Avenue – Wednesday Afternoon**

After a busy morning at the magazine, Rachel was glad for the break and to have lunch with her friends. Things had been so busy in the last few weeks with Mercedes moving and Santana recovering that Rachel was happy to see things finally slowing down. Once the girls had ordered their lunch, they started talking about Santana returning to work.

"You sure you're ready for work?" Quinn asked, worried ignoring Santana rolling her eyes as she took a drink of her ice tea.

"God! I'm more than ready, if I have to stay home another week, I might go crazy" Santana enthused. Santana had been told by her doctors to have a month off to recover, she had planned on ignoring them and going straight back to work but before she could Rachel had told her office and because Rachel was one of their biggest clients they had listened to her and demanded Santana didn't come back until she had recovered.

"We should do something to celebrate, maybe throw a little party or something" Mercedes suggested, smirking at Santana when she glared at her. Santana never liked a fuss to be made of her.

"I think that's a great idea, just close friends, at a restaurant maybe. Oh, I just heard about this new place that does karaoke and has an arcade section, we could bring the kids" Quinn rambled, taking out a pad from her bag, she began to jot down some ideas.

"And what exactly is this party for, hey glad you didn't die" Santana quipped, gaping at Quinn slightly as she continued to jot down some ideas.

"Exactly" Rachel smirked when she saw Santana's discomfort but she knew if Quinn already had the pad out, there was no way Santana was getting out of having a party. The girls were interrupted when the waitress came over with their meals but as soon as their meals were in front of them and the others started eating Quinn cut right in.

"So, what do you think, Mercedes are you busy after this, we can go to the party supply store on the street over and see what balloons they have" Quinn said, not noticing the looks the other girls were giving her. None of them why Quinn was suddenly so caught up in planning the party.

"Uhmm yeah I can do that" Mercedes answered. Quinn nodded while taking a bite of her club sandwich not taking her eyes off the pad in front of her.

"So, Santana what do you think" Quinn asked, finally looking over at Santana. Rachel and Mercedes smirked at each other when Santana let out a loud sigh.

"Do I really have a choice" Santana grumbled before taking a bite of her burger.

 **Rachel and Finn's Apartment – West Village – Wednesday Evening**

Rachel walked into the house and let out a sigh of relief that she was finally home. It had been a long day at work and all she wanted was a kiss form her husband, a cuddle from her children and a nice long bath. Rachel walked into the living room to see Finn working on his laptop while Rose watched a Disney movie with all her build-a-bear in a row in front of her and Henry coloured on the coffee table. It was the best thing Rachel had seen all day.

"Hello Family" Rachel said, walking into the living room. Rose and Henry turned to wave at their mother before going back to what they were doing. Rachel sat down next to Finn. He moved his laptop on to the coffee table then gave Rachel a loving kiss.

"Hello wife" Finn said, laying back on the sofa and taking Rachel with him.

"Hello Husband, look what I have" Rachel said, handing Finn a piece of decorative card, before cuddling into his side.

"And what's this"

"It's an invitation that Quinn has already sent out, for a party that she only decided on this afternoon" Rachel replied, in disbelief. "She's already organised the venue, the menu, the decorations and the invitations

Rachel had still been in her office, when Quinn had dropped off the invitation and told Rachel she pretty much had everything finalised for the party. Rachel didn't even have the energy to ask her if she'd spoken to Santana about any of it, when the party was supposed to be for her.

"Well she does work fast that one" Finn mused, before chucking the invitation onto the coffee table and leaning his head on Rachel's shoulder to breath her in, his eyes closed.

"But this more than that, she was like a woman on a mission. I think it's a way to distract her from what's really going on.

Sensing that Rachel wanted to talk about something, Finn straightened up and turned to face her "What's really going on?"

"Her and Noah, I think they are still arguing and she's using this party as a way to avoid that. I just wish she would talk to me about what's going on but every time I ask her she just shuts me down"

"Rachel, I've been your friend's agony aunt since the beginning of our relationship, so I know from experience they will come to you when they are ready, you can't force them. Especially Quinn, who is all about saving face" Finn reasoned. Every since they had known Finn, the girls had come to him, hoping to get a male's opinion but if he ever gave that opinion without them asking, they quickly shut him down so Finn knew when to stay clear of a situation and when to help.

"But I think it's me she doesn't want to tell. She's got it in her head that we have this perfect relationship that hers has to live up to and so she feels like she is failing when it doesn't. it's the same with the others. They think I can't help them because I don't understand relationships because I've been married since puberty, Santana's words not mine" Rachel ranted, frustrated.

Finn wrapped both his arms around Rachel and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. "While we do have a perfect relationship, at least in my eyes, I can understand why your frustrated so maybe just this once, instead of waiting for your friends to talk to you, you just fix the problem for them"

Rachel raised her head from where it was laid on Finn's head "You always tell me not to get too involved"

"I know but truthfully you friends are being too stubborn for their own good, I'll even help you if you want" Finn replied. Rachel reached up and kissed Finn's jaw then both his cheeks then finally his lips.

"You are so perfect Finn"

Finn chuckled "Don't go telling anyone though"

 **Sam's Apartment – Greenwich Village – Thursday Evening**

" _Well hello Hudson Family"_

Sam opened his door and let Finn, Rachel, Rose, and Henry inside. Sam had been shocked to find the Hudson family at his front door on a random Thursday evening. Sam had only seen Finn or Puck in the last few weeks because it was too hard for him to be around Mercedes so he wasn't quite sure why they were at his apartment. Sam got them all a drink while Rachel set Rose and Henry up with Finn's iPad to watch a film. Once everyone had a drink they all sat in Sam's living room, Sam took a drink of his beer and waited for Rachel and Finn to explain why they had dropped by.

"Sorry for the random stop by, we are on a mission with a deadline and the kids had to tag along" Rachel explained, Sam just nodded in return not sure what else to say. Rachel reached into her bag and pulled out an invitation and passed it to Sam.

"This is an invite to a party we are having for Santana to celebrate her recovering and going back to work. And you are going to be there" Rachel affirmed, giving Sam a pointed look.

"Rachel, I don't know if that..."

"Sam, Mercedes left Matt, she's getting divorced. There is nothing stopping you from being together except your own stupid pride" Finn explained, Rachel looked at him lovingly will Sam gaped at them both.

"Are you starting a matchmaking business or something" Sam quipped.

"No, we are just sick of our friends not being together. You haven't had an easy time of it, we know that but now is your chance to be together and you would be stupid not to take it" Rachel exclaimed, she finished off her wine that Sam hadn't noticed her drinking, then stood up. "Come on kids, Uncle Sam has to pick an outfit to wear for Auntie Sans party"

She took the iPad, put it back in her bag then took each of her children's hand while Finn turned to Sam "So we'll see you Saturday, bring her flowers, always a nice touch" Finn said before following his family out of the front door.

Sam looked around confused "What just happened"

 **Brittany's Apartment – Upper West Side – Thursday Evening**

Brittany was watching a film with a glass of wine when she heard a knock at her door. She paused the movie then when she went to answer the door, she was very surprised to find Finn and Rachel each with a sleeping child in their arms. To say she was confused would be an understatement the last time she had seen Rachel, Rachel had yelled at her and made her leave Santana's Hospital room.

"Hey guys, come in" Brittany greeted, as she opened her door to let them inside before leading her into their living room.

"Hey Brittany, sorry we are here so late but it was a nightmare getting here from Sam's Apartment" Rachel apologised as the took a seat across from Brittany on her large corner sofa. It was only eight thirty so Brittany didn't think it was that late but she reasoned when you had two children under the age of five who had bed time it probably was later than they were usually out with them.

"That's okay, but what exactly are you doing here" Brittany asked. Rachel reached over, without disturbing Henry who was still asleep in her arms, and handed Brittany an invitation.

"We're having a small party for Santana on Saturday, sort of a celebration that she's recovered and going back to work and I thought that you might want to be there" Rachel explained. Brittany looked down at the elaborate invite then back at Finn and Rachel.

"Does Santana know you're inviting me" Brittany asked.

"Truthfully, she doesn't know but I can say with absolute certainty that she wants you there, she just doesn't feel like she deserves it after everything that happened. She still feels guilty for lying to Danni and I think she think she doesn't deserve to be happy"

"I don't know, so much has happened" Brittany said, sadly, shaking her head.

"It has, and even after everything that's happened, you to still find a way back to each other. That means something Brittany" Finn enthused. Brittany nodded slowly, even she had to admit Santana would always be in her heart, she just wasn't sure in which way.

Finn could tell Brittany still needed some convincing "Brittany, I've been with Rachel for 16 years and I know…"

"We've been together 16 years!" Rachel teased, Finn rolled his eyes at her as Brittany smiled at the pair.

"Like I was saying I've been with Rachel for far too long and I know what they can be like. I once had Quinn in my bed for a week when her boyfriend broke up with her. They have no boundaries when it comes to each other and early into our relationship I realised that if I wanted to be with Rachel this would be something I had to get used to" Finn explained before looking over at Rachel lovingly "But you do get used to it, especially when you love someone like I love Rachel, and once you do you see that they are also some of the greatest friends you'll have as well"

"God, isn't he cute" Rachel gushed, giving Finn a quick kiss on the cheek before they both turned back to Brittany who seemed deep in thought.

"I always felt second best with Santana" Brittany admitted. Rachel and Finn shared a quick look, that was where their relationships differed because Finn never felt that way with Rachel but he had seen incidents where Santana didn't take Brittany into account.

"I can't say things will change overnight Brittany because I don't know that" Finn started, as he moved Rose into a more comfortable position on his lap "But I do think you owe it to yourself and Santana to see if there is something still there. Santana knows she's made mistakes and Me, Puck and Sam will be there for when she needs a reminder. We've got your back"

Rachel smiled at Finn then sent him a look he knew meant 'they had said everything they could and that it was time to leave'. After 10 years of marriage a lot could be said with a look.

"We'll leave you to it, we have to get these little one's home" Rachel said, getting up from the sofa. When Brittany didn't say anything because she was too absorbed in the invite, Finn and Rachel decided to just leave as they knew she had a lot to think about. Rachel and Finn said goodbye but Brittany didn't even notice they had left even as they closed the door behind them.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Thursday Evening**

An hour later Rachel and Finn were finally home, and had managed to get both they children changed and into bed without waking them. Once done they walked into their own bedroom and started to get undressed.

"So, do you think either of them will show up on Saturday" Finn wondered once he had stripped off his clothes, deciding to just sleep in his boxers.

"I'm not sure but I do know if they do, Mercedes, and Santana will probably kill me for getting involved" Rachel mused, as she climbed into bed, in one of Finn's t-shirt and nothing else.

"They will thank you in the long run…hopefully"

Finn switched off the bedside light, before turning to face Rachel who was looking at him tenderly. She reached over and softly stroked his face.

"I love you" Rachel said before pulling Finn in for a searing kiss.

Her hands ran through his hair as she moved onto his lap. Finn pulled her closer, as Rachel started kissing down his throat while her hands pulled his hair to bring him closer to her. Finn responded with a soft moan before ripping his t- shirt from Rachel's body so that she was naked on top of him.

While still kissing him, Rachel moved one of her hands from his hair to tug his boxers down, Finn helped her pull them off and they quickly joined the t-shirt on the floor. Finn softly kneaded his hands in Rachel's breast and lightly pinched her nipple before pulling away from her lips to see the sight of Rachel moaning on top of him.

"Oh, I love you to, by the way" Finn replied before pulling her in for another searing kiss.

 **On the Way to Party – Park Avenue – Saturday Evening**

The next night, Rachel, Finn and their children were in a cab on the way to Santana's party. Rachel wanted to leave it as late as she could, hoping Sam and Brittany would have already arrived and Mercedes and Santana would have had time to get over it and not be too mad at her for meddling. Rachel knew it sounded crazy but it was all she had.

"Rachel relax, they might not even show up" Finn reasoned when he caught Rachel nervously running her hands through her hair.

"Yeah maybe" Rachel sighed, as she nervously bounced Henry on her knee, for something to do besides pull her own hair.

"I'm so excited for the arcade, can we go on everything Daddy!" Rose beamed, smiling widely at her father.

"We can! I wanna get as many tickets as we can" Finn replied, his enthusiasm more for Henry and Rose benefit as both were practically jumping out of their seats to get to the arcade. Eventually they cab pulled up outside, Finn paid the fare then the four of them out of the cab and made their way inside.

Quinn had manged to hire three booths that were directly in front of the arcade section of the bar and grill. She had some balloons and streamers around the booths while still making it look classy and had ordered loads of appetisers for each table. Rachel went straight to the bar to get them a drink, she hadn't seen Brittany and Sam yet, but she didn't see anyone she knew as she handed Rose and Henry a bottle of juice, before handing Finn a beer.

"Let's go find the others" Finn said, taking Henry's hand as he lead his family through the restaurant and over to the booths by the arcade.

"NJ" Rose shouted, she saw NJ with Puck stood by the Whack-a-Mole and ran off to greet them, while Rachel and Finn reached the booths and took a seat as the greeted some of Santana's co-workers. Rachel looked around but didn't see any of her friends.

"Maybe they didn't show" Finn commented, when he noticed Rachel looking around the busy restaurant.

Rachel nodded, before taking a drink of her beer "It looks that way"

"Daddy can we go play a game" Henry asked, pulling on Finn's hand. Finn nodded then took Henry's hand and walked him over to where Puck was helping Rose and NJ with the Whack-a-Mole game. Rachel was about to join them when Santana and Mercedes came to stand in front of her. That's when she saw Sam and Brittany lingering by the fruit machines.

"Oh, hey guys, I just going to play on one of the machines" Rachel said, lamely, trying to move around her friends but they quickly moved in front of her.

"Oh no you don't. We want a word with you" Santana demanded before taking Rachel's hand and dragging her out of the bar.

 **Outside HJ's Bar and Grill – Park Avenue – Saturday Evening**

"So, do you wanna tell us what the hell you were thinking" Santana snapped, crossing her arms as her and Mercedes stood firmly in front of Rachel while Quinn lingered next to Rachel.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Rachel lied, shaking her head lamely. Santana and Mercedes both narrowed their eyes at her.

"Cut the crap Rachel, we know you invited Sam and Brittany what we want to know now is why you thought that was a good idea" Mercedes demanded.

Sam and Brittany had shown up just ten minutes before Rachel had and Mercedes had almost dropped to the floor in shock. Once Sam had told her that Rachel had invited them so that they could all talk, Mercedes and Santana had been furious and before they could properly talk to Brittany or Sam they wanted answers from Rachel.

"You want the truth" Rachel asked. Santana gave her an exasperated look, so Rachel continued "I did it because you are both idiots"

"Excuse me" Santana snipped.

"I knew you both wanted to talk to Sam and Brittany but you were both once again too stubborn to do anything about it. You never want my advice so I decided to take action instead" Rachel explained "You think I don't know what I'm talking about because I have what you think is a perfect relationship" Rachel glanced over at Quinn "You hold it up as a relationship that yours had to be like but you all seem to forget that Finn and I haven't always been like that and we have an 12 year start on all you guys"

"Rachel things are a bit more complicated than that" Mercedes reasoned, Rachel had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"No, they're not you guys just make it more complicated. Finn and I haven't had the same challenges as you guys but we have had hardships, issues that we've had to push through but we always made sure did because we decided a long time ago that we would rather be together than not" Rachel said, firmly, she glanced at all her friends to see they had taken what she said seriously.

"Look I'm not telling you what to do, I made it clear to both of them that you didn't know I was inviting them so I can ask them to leave and it will be on me but I'm tired of you guys saying your fine when you're not, I'm tired of you all saying it" Rachel concluded and even though she didn't say it aloud she hoped Quinn knew she meant her as well.

"I'm going to talk to Brittany" Santana said, quietly before walking back into the bar.

"And I think I'm going to buy Sam a drink" Mercedes said, winking at Rachel before walking back inside. Rachel turned to Quinn and grabbed her arm before she could go back inside.

"Did you listen to what I was saying" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, I think it really helped them" Quinn smiled.

"Do you not think it could help anyone else" Rachel pressed, hoping that Quinn would finally talk to her about the issues with Puck.

"Not that I can think of why"

Rachel let out a sigh "Never mind, let's get back to the party"

 **HJ's Bar and Grill – Park Avenue – Saturday Evening**

Two hours later Rachel, Finn, Rose, and Henry had been on every arcade game the restaurant had and had eaten their body weights in barbeque wings and curly fries. Eventually Rose and Henry fell asleep and Rachel and Finn laid them out on one of the booths as they finished their beers before going home.

"You did good Mrs Hudson" Finn smirked nodding his head to the left where Santana and Brittany were sat cuddled together and Mercedes and Sam were stood, sharing sweet kisses.

"Couldn't have done it without you Mr Hudson" Rachel said, clicking her bottle to Finn's before giving him a quick kiss. "What are we going to do about those two though" Rachel asked glancing over at Quinn and Puck.

Quinn and Puck had barely spoken all night and instead put all their attention onto NJ, it was clear to everyone that there was tension between the married pair that they didn't want to acknowledge.

"They will come to us when they're ready but even if they don't it won't be your fault Rachel, this might be something they have to work out on their own" Finn acknowledged, wrapping his arm around her and kissing the top of her head.

"Yeah maybe you're right" Rachel sighed.

"Hey wanna go home, cuddle our babies then have our own cuddle time" Finn said, suggestively before nibbling on Rachel's ear lobe. Rachel moaned quietly as she stoked up Finn's leg.

"Definitely" Rachel sighed, but for a whole different reason.

 **Quinn and Puck's Apartment – Upper East Side – Saturday Night**

"Well he's finally asleep" Puck stated as he closed the door to NJ's room before walking into the kitchen, where Quinn was making herself a cup of tea.

"That's good" Quinn replied, not bothering to look at him as she poured her tea.

"It was a good night, I'm glad Sam and Mercedes, and Brittany and Santana were able to work things out" Puck said, the tension was clear between the two and Puck wasn't sure why he was even talking when everything he said sounded so awkward.

"Yeah, I'm glad too"

Puck sighed heavily "There is something wrong isn't there"

Quinn finally turned to face to face Puck, the sadness and frustration was clear on her face "Yeah think there is"


	6. 4x06 - Glee and The 4th Wedding

**Hey Guys - Hope you enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think. Also none of the legal stuff is accurate, I just needed it to fit the plot - so don't judge me :)**

 **Happy Reading**

* * *

 **4x06 - Glee and The 4th Wedding**

* * *

 **The Diner - Park Avenue – Wednesday Afternoon**

Two weeks after Santana's party, Rachel was rushing out of her cab and into the Diner. She was late to meet her friends and she knew they wouldn't be happy because it was the first time they had met up since the party. Santana and Mercedes had both been loved up with Brittany and Sam so time with their friends had gone on the back burners as they put their energy into their relationships and Rachel was too happy for them, to care that she hadn't seen them.

"Hey sorry I'm late" Rachel rushed out, as she took a seat next to Quinn "I only have 20 minutes I have a meeting at 2"

"And hello to you too" Santana quipped, smirking at Rachel. Rachel rolled her eyes as she shrugged off her coat.

"I know I'm sorry, catch me up" Rachel said.

"Nothing new here, still married with a child" Quinn sighed. Rachel noted, she didn't even bother to raise a smile. Rachel had given up asking her about it though, it was getting her nowhere so she decided to wait until Quinn came to her.

"Still happy with Sam" Mercedes beamed. Sam and Mercedes had managed to pick up exactly where they had left off before and Mercedes couldn't be happier, while she was officially divorced yet, things with Sam were moving in the right direction.

"Are you guys free on Saturday; the kids as well" Santana asked, timidly. The others glanced at her, noting that she was suddenly nervous.

"Yeah I think so" Rachel replied.

"Okay good, I was thinking we could have lunch at 141 Worth Street" Santana suggested, not managing to look any of them in the eye.

"Isn't that the courthouse" Quinn asked, confused.

"Yeah you see before the lunch Brittany and I were thinking about…" Santana looked at them all nervously "getting married"

"Are you serious!" Quinn exclaimed, while Rachel and Mercedes gaped at her. That was the last thing they expected Santana to say. Even though they knew Santana was loved up with Brittany again, she'd also been dead set against ever getting married because she had seen what it had done to her parents.

"Yes I am. I've realised Brittany is the one I want to be with and I should stop denying it. So, I asked her to marry me and she said yes" Santana explained, finally looking at her friends who were all in different stages of confusion and shock.

"That's amazing but why so quickly" Rachel asked. Realistically Brittany and Santana had only been back together two weeks and it seemed to Rachel, they still had a few issues they had to work through first.

"If that accident taught me anything then it's that life is short and we should live it while we can" Santana affirmed. The others took a second to absorb what Santana was saying. They could see she was serious but it was also hard for them to comprehend.

Quinn shook her head "Wow"

"Yeah so it will just be a small service just you guys and Brittany's family and a few other friends" Santana explained "So you'll guys will be there right"

"Yeah of course" Quinn replied, happily. Mercedes and Rachel both nodded in reply. Santana beamed at them then started putting on her coat.

"I have to get back to work, I'm going to leave work early today, so I can look for a dress" Santana said, putting some money down on the table for her coffee and cake, before picking up her bag.

"See you later" Mercedes said, they all waved as Santana left the Diner then turned back to each other, all with the same look of disbelief.

"Santana Lopez is getting married" Rachel exclaimed, shaking her head.

 **Rachel's Office – Broadway Star Offices – Wednesday Afternoon**

After lunch with her friends, Rachel went straight back to work. She walked into her office, dumped her bag and coat on the white sofa then walked over to her desk, switching on her computer to reply to the emails she had received during lunch. Rachel was working for twenty minutes when Tina came into her office, with a coffee for her as well as some mock up covers for the next issue.

"Hey Rachel, how was lunch? Anything interesting" Tina asked, as she put the photos down then started straightening up Rachel's desk.

"You have no idea" Rachel sighed, just as her phone started to ring. Tina took that as her cue to leave as Rachel picked up her phone to see Santana was calling her.

"Hey, please don't tell me, your ringing me to tell me your pregnant as well" Rachel quipped as she picked up her Starbucks cup and took a sip of her vanilla latte.

" _Ha, Ha I was just calling to see how freaked out you all were by my news"_ Santana replied.

"We weren't freaked out just shocked that's all. It's a big decision that you made very quickly" Rachel argued. She had actually been expecting Santana's phone call, she knew Santana would always want their honest opinion even if she didn't like it.

" _Really you could say this decision has been years in the making"_ Santana replied, theatrically.

"Or you could say you've just got back together after 6 months apart" Rachel retorted, leaning back on her chair, forgetting about her work for a second.

" _Rachel, I love her and I want to be with her, only her"_ Santana said, firmly. Rachel sat up straight, she could hear the conviction in Santana's voice and Rachel decided to forget everything she thought about Santana rushing things and just support her friends.

"As long as you're sure this is what you want" Rachel stated.

" _It is"_ Santana replied, quickly.

Rachel smiled, already thinking about a suitable gift and what she was going to wear "Then I'm happy for you"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Wednesday Evening**

Rachel walked into her house 6 hours later, she was ready for a long bath and a glass of wine. She shrugged off her coat and heels and left them by the front door. She walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of white wine. She took a long sip then let out a content sigh.

"Finn!" Rachel called, once she put the wine bottle back in the fridge.

"Living room" Finn called back. Rachel took a beer out of the fridge then walked into the living room. Finn was in the love seat watching a basketball game with Rose and Henry on his lap, watching with him.

"Hey how was work?" Finn asked, leaning his head up to give Rachel a quick kiss as she handed him the bottle of beer. Rachel then squeezed in next to him on the chair and Henry crawled into her lap and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Long, how about you?" Rachel replied, before touching her cheek so Rose knew to give her a kiss as well. Rose gave her mother a loud kiss on the cheek before going back to the TV. To Rachel and Finn's surprise Rose really enjoyed basketball and loved any chance she got to watch a game with her Daddy.

"The same"

"So, I have some news for you" Rachel said, looking over at Finn with a smirk.

"What" Finn asked, distracted by the game on the TV.

"Santana and Brittany are getting married on Saturday" Rachel replied. Finn finally looked away from the TV to give Rachel an open-mouthed look.

"Are you kidding" Finn gaped "They just got back together"

"Santana said this is what she wants" Rachel shrugged, she started stroking Henry's hair as her son cuddled into her chest.

"And you believe her" Finn wondered. Finn didn't want to sound harsh but Santana and Brittany had broken up because Santana couldn't commit and probably never would and now that same person was getting married.

"I believe that she thinks it's what she wants and she's happy, who am I to get in the way of that. We all love Brittany, it's not like Matt and Mercedes" Rachel reasoned, cuddling into Finn, putting her head on Finn's shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess your right" Finn agreed, before shaking her head "Santana Lopez getting married though, I never thought I'd see the day"

"Me either"

"What are you talking about mommy?" Rose asked, once the game was at half time, looking up at her mother.

"Auntie Sans is getting married" Rachel replied, happily.

Rose groaned, loudly "Does this mean I have to wear another itchy dress"

 **Fancies Antique Shop – Upper East Side – Thursday Afternoon**

The next day, Mercedes, Quinn, and Rachel had met up to try and find Santana and Brittany a wedding gift. The wedding was on Saturday, so it didn't leave them a lot of time and nothing they thought of seemed appropriate for Santana.

"Hopefully we will find something in here, I only have half an hour before I have to get back" Rachel said, as they looked around the small antique furniture store.

"How are you supposed to find a wedding present for your friend who you always thought hated weddings" Quinn grumbled, picking up a ceramic dish before realising Santana would hate it.

"The number for a good divorce lawyer" Mercedes quipped, winking at Quinn who narrowed her eyes at her.

"She said this is what she wants" Rachel argued, looking at a crystal vase that would look great in her bedroom, before remembering she was there for Santana.

"Why marriage isn't everything" Quinn sighed, quietly but Mercedes and Rachel heard. They shared a look before Rachel walked over to Quinn.

"Something to tell us Quinn" Rachel pressed, giving Quinn a pointed look.

"Ignore me just stressed at work" Quinn waved off, before walking away from Rachel to look at some art work on the walls.

"Santana loves Brittany so I say we just support it; what else can we do" Rachel said, walking back over to Quinn and Mercedes, Mercedes nodded in agreement.

"Yeah you're right. Although if we are supporting this, we cannot let it just happen at a courthouse no matter how nice it is" Quinn argued, crossing her arms firmly.

Rachel nodded "You know what I agree and I think I just thought of the perfect wedding gift"

 **Rachel's Office – Broadway Star Offices – Thursday Afternoon**

Once Rachel got back to her office, she got to work on her idea for Santana and Brittany. She realised the first person she had to talk to was Brittany's mother, who she knew would have to get on board for the plan to work out. Luckily for Rachel, Tina was Wonder Woman, and she had managed to get Brittany's mother's number for her.

"That's right, Mrs Pierce. We will all meet outside at about one thirty... okay see you then... bye" Rachel concluded, putting her phone down as Tina walked into her office, taking a seat across Rachel at the desk.

"Everything sorted" Tina asked.

"I think so yeah; Mrs Pierce seems like a wonder woman with this stuff" Rachel replied, before she noticed the strange look on Tina's face "Everything okay?"

"There's a woman named Lydia at Reception for you... isn't Lydia the name of …" Tina trailed off, watching Rachel closely for her reaction.

"Rose and Henry's birth mother yeah" Rachel finished, concerned, wondering what Lydia could possibly want with Rachel. She looked down to see her hands were shaking slightly and Tina was looking at her concerned.

"I can call the police or social services if you want" Tina suggested.

"No let her in, I want to see what she has to say" Rachel replied, evenly. Tina nodded then left the office, she returned a few moments later with Lydia following behind her. Tina closed the door behind her leaving the women alone.

"Hi Rachel" Lydia said, carefully, trying not look too obvious that she was looking around Rachel's large office.

Rachel gaped at her "Lydia you're – "

"Pregnant yeah, I'm about 6 months" Lydia replied, rubbing her stomach as she walked over to Rachel desk and Rachel motioned for her to sit down.

"Congratulations, what did you want to talk to me about?" Rachel wondered, putting her hand under her leg so Lydia couldn't see that they were still shaking.

"Well this actually"

"I don't understand" Rachel replied, confused.

"Jimmy's in prison he was picked up for a liquor store robbery" Lydia started.

"Yeah I heard something about that" Rachel mumbled. Ever since the court case Rachel and Finn had kept close tabs on Jimmy just to make sure he kept away from the children, Rachel had been worried, he would come ack into her life. As wrong as felt Rachel felt some peace that Jimmy was behind bars.

"Well, before he was arrested, we tried to give our relationship another go, and well this happened" Lydia explained, pointing down to her large stomach "Jimmy doesn't know I'm pregnant and he doesn't need to know"

"I guess that's your choice but I'm still not sure what this has to do with me" Rachel replied, feeling a lot calmer about the situation.

"Because I want you and Finn to adopt the baby" Lydia affirmed, looking straight at Rachel, who's eyes went wide.

"Excuse me!" Rachel exclaimed.

"The judge was right that day, the best thing I did was give my children up and I know that now. I'm not cut out to be a mother not like you are. I want to give this baby the best chance in life and what better way than to let it grow up with their brother and sister"

"Lydia do you realise what you're asking" Rachel replied, running her hands through her hair.

"I know this has probably come as a huge shock, I'm not expecting an answer right now. This baby is going to be put up for adoption either way but I just thought it should in some way be with their siblings and with parents who will do anything for it"

"I'm not sure what to say right now" Rachel admitted. She had always wanted a big family with Finn but Rachel hadn't expected it to happen with Lydia coming to her office to hand her, her baby.

"I'll leave so you can think about it all and talk to Finn. Here's my number" Lydia replied, handing Rachel a piece of paper "I'm staying with my parents in Long Island but I'm here until the end of next week if you want to talk again. If I don't hear from you again, I'll take that as your answer and you won't hear from me again"

Rachel remained silent, deep in thought as Lydia got up from her chair, left the room and closed the door behind her.

 **Bar 81 – Upper East Side – Friday Evening**

The next evening the girls were at Bar 81 for a mini bachelorette party for Santana. Quinn had wanted to plan a bigger celebration for her, with some of their other friends included but Santana had been adamant she just wanted it to be the four of them. So, the girls had decided on a bar near Quinn's apartment while Finn and Puck watched the children at Puck and Quinn's place.

"Here's to Santana's last night as a free woman" Mercedes cheered, holding up her glass "Its happens to the best of us"

The girls enjoyed their drinks and reminisced about Brittany and Santana's up and down relationship. After an hour, they had enjoyed a number of cocktails and shots and laughed until they had cried about Santana and Brittany's relationship.

"I'm going to the bathroom" Quinn stated, once they had finished their fourth cocktails of the night.

"I'll come with you" Mercedes said, jumping up from the table to follow Quinn into the bathroom. Santana finished off her drink and looked over at Rachel, who had been deep in thought for most of the night.

"Hey, is everything okay, you look very lost in thought" Santana asked, giving Rachel a pointed look.

"It's nothing it can wait" Rachel waved off.

"Rachel, I remember from your wedding that you have to do exactly what the bride says so tell me what's going on" Santana pressed, smirking at Rachel.

"Lydia came to see me" Rachel admitted, she took a drink then told Santana all about her conversation with Lydia the day before. She had been thinking about nothing else since but she had yet to come to a conclusion about what she wanted to do.

"This can't be real can it, what did Finn say" Santana asked.

"I haven't told him yet. I wanted to wrap my head around it first" Rachel admitted, moving her finger around the rim of her drink "Say I was considering this, as a lawyer what would you say"

"Well first you need to draw up papers that Lydia would have to give up all paternal rights, Jimmy as well. Then Fiona would be able to sort out the adoption papers, you're already registered so that shouldn't be a problem" Santana explained, giving Rachel a questioning look "Are you considering this?"

"I'm not sure, Finn and I never talked about if we would go through it all again, but I also can't imagine Rose and Henry having a sibling in the world that they don't know about" Rachel argued, before taking a sip of her drink, trying to calm her nerves.

"I think you need to talk to Finn before you decide anything and I can help you with all the legal stuff if that's what you want"

"Thank you, look don't say anything. This is your night and I don't want people finding out before I can tell Finn" Rachel whispered, when she noticed Quinn walking back to the table while Mercedes went to the bar.

"My lips are sealed" Santana nodded, giving Rachel a secret smile just as Quinn sat down next to her. A few minutes later Mercedes came back to the table with some more drinks for them.

"Here you go girls" Mercedes said, putting down a tray of shots on the table "There's plenty more where these came from"

"I knew there was a reason I wanted to get married" Santana quipped, before downing her shot in one.

 **The Courthouse – Manhattan – Saturday Afternoon**

The next day, everyone was waiting outside the Courthouse for Brittany and Santana. Rachel and Ann, Brittany's Mother, had told everyone to get their twenty minutes before Brittany and Santana had told them so everyone would be there when they revealed the surprise to the couple. Despite everyone being there early, Santana and Brittany were also ten minutes late so everyone was getting bored waiting around, but Ann had bought out three bottles of champagne and poured everyone some into some plastic flute glasses for them to enjoy while they waited.

"How much longer do we have to wait Mommy" Rose groaned once she had finished the juice box that Ann had given her as well as a bag of pretzels.

"Not long sweetie, they will be here soon" Rachel replied, smiling down at her daughter "Is you're dress itchy sweetie"

"No but I'm bored" Rose moaned, throwing herself down on the front steps.

"Me too" NJ agreed, with a sigh coming to sit down next to Rose and Henry. Henry and NJ had matching black trousers and white shirts, while Rose was wearing a black and white dress. Quinn and Rachel had taken over forty pictures of them already.

"They are so getting married" Quinn gushed, smiling at Rachel, who rolled her eyes playfully.

"Are they here yet, I'm bored" Puck groaned, walking over to the two women.

"Me too" Finn sighed, coming to sit next to Rachel.

"Looks like they might get married as well" Rachel said, sarcastically, playfully glaring at Finn who gave her a quick kiss in reply.

"You can have him Finn, maybe he'll pick up his dirty washing for you" Quinn retorted, glaring at Puck before turning away from him.

"There here" Mercedes stated, nodding her head at the cab that pulled up at front of them. They watched Brittany and Santana got out both in gorgeous white dresses.

"Guys why are you all waiting outside for us" Santana wondered, when she noticed everyone sat around the front steps of the courthouse, sipping on champagne from plastic flutes.

"Because we are not going in there" Rachel said, pointing back towards the Courthouse "Where going in there"

Rachel pointed over to two coaches that were in the parking lot, they both had signs attached to the side that said, 'Brittany and Santana Forever' with flowers attached at both ends.

"What's going on" Brittany asked, looking over at Santana who was just as confused as she was.

"Santana Lopez only gets married once and she isn't doing it at the courthouse, neither is Brittany. I spoke to Brittany's parents and they agreed" Rachel explained as Brittany's family walked over to them, Ann putting her hand on Rachel's shoulder as she smiled at the couple.

"That we did so come on everyone into the Van" Brittany's mother said, motioning for everyone to get into the two waiting coaches.

 **XoXo**

Once everyone had settled onto the two vehicles, they set off to the secret destination. Finn had ended up sat next to Puck when Quinn had sat down next to Rachel without even looking at Puck, so everyone could tell they had been fighting again.

"Is everything okay with you and Quinn" Finn asked, looking back at Quinn and Rachel to make sure they couldn't hear them.

"Yeah everything's fine, she's just been a bit snippy lately, living together is harder than we thought. It's such a small space, we are on top of each other" Puck explained, taking another drink of the fresh champagne that Ann had poured for them all before they had set off.

"Have you thought about moving"

"We can't really afford it right now" Puck admitted, sighing heavily. It was clear to Finn it wasn't the first time Puck had thought about it.

"You could always – "

"Finn really things are fine, just an off day" Puck cut in. sending Finn a pointed look before he finished off his drink.

"If you say so"

Puck nodded "I do"

 **The Gardens – New York Botanical Gardens – Saturday Afternoon**

Ten minutes later, the group arrived at the New York Botanical Gardens. It had been one of Brittany's favourite places as a child, so Ann had managed to secure them a spot for her daughter to get married. They were in the Outdoor section and the staff had set up some chairs, along with an arch way for the women to stand under. The whole section was covered in fairy lights and different flowers and there was a make shift space to dance with a speaker system set up and some tables and chairs set up and a catering company were already there setting up the food tables at the back of the open space.

"How did you guys manage this" Santana asked, amazed, looking around the gardens while everyone took their seats.

"It was Brittany's mom really, she's an expert" Quinn admitted. Once Ann had heard Rachel's idea she had jumped on board and had managed to organise everything in just two days.

"Thank you so much" Santana gushed, bringing the three women in for a group hug.

"Don't go soft on us Lopez just because you're getting married" Mercedes quipped, smirking at Santana as they pulled away.

"Okay we better take our seats" Rachel said. The women each took a child's hand and took their seats at the front with Puck and Finn following behind them.

"Hey Hudson, wait up" Santana said, hooking her arm thorough Finn's "Wanna walk down the aisle with me?"

"It would be my honour" Finn beamed. The music started then Brittany walked down the aisle first with her parents then Santana and Finn walked down with Rachel taking their picture along with the photographer they had hired for the day.

Finn gave Santana a kiss on the cheek when they had reached the front of the aisle then took his seat next to Rachel.

Santana took Brittany's hand as the minister started "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here today…"

Santana couldn't really remember everything that was said as she stared into Brittany's eyes, but she did remember, Brittany smiling at her as she said her vows, she remembered tearing up as Brittany repeated her vows and she rembered slipping the ring onto Brittany's finger as she said, "I do"

 **XoXo**

After the ceremony, the group moved to one of the tables to eat the Italian feast the caterers had prepared. Rachel and Finn were sat at a table with Mercedes and Sam along with Rose and Henry while Quinn and Puck were sat at another table with Brittany's sister and her husband that Quinn knew through the gallery because Brittany's sister was a curator for a hotel in the city.

Once the meal had been eaten, Santana walked over to the table to talk to her friends while Brittany shared a dance with her father.

"Well that's another one married off, just one more to go" Rachel stated, smirking at Mercedes.

"Mercedes needs to be divorced before she can be married again" Santana quipped. Mercedes glared at them both before taking a drink of her wine. Santana looked over at Rachel to see she was watching Quinn who was talking to Brittany's sister, ignoring Puck.

"Are you still worried about them?" Santana asked.

"Yeah, has Quinn said anything" Rachel asked, Mercedes and Santana both shook their heads so Rachel turned to Finn.

"No not really, although she has been snippy with him all day" Finn replied, Rachel let out a frustrated sigh as Rose turned to her father, tomato sauce covering her face.

"Daddy can we dance?" Rose asked. Finn smiled at his daughter before wiping the sauce from her face and helping her off her seat.

"Of course, Rosie"

"Mommy too and Henry" Rose added, looking back at her mother holding out her other hand. Rachel picked up Henry from his chair then followed after them.

"Coming"

The family got to the dance floor just as a slow song started. Finn picked up Rose and Rachel picked up Henry as Finn wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. The swayed to the music for a few minutes before Rachel pulled away slightly to look up at Finn.

"Do you ever think about having another one?" Rachel wondered.

"Rachel I'd have a hundred with you" Finn replied, lovingly. Rachel gave him a sweet kiss.

"Good to know"

 **XoXo**

After dancing with her family for twenty minutes Rachel went back to the table to enjoy a drink with her friends while Finn took Rose to look around the garden and Henry sat on Rachel's knee watching a cartoon on Rachel's phone.

"So how does married life feel" Quinn asked.

"Good so far but ask me again in a week" Santana quipped, to which Quinn nodded in agreement. "I can't believe you guys did all this for me, I thought you thought I was rushing into this"

"We realised you've always known what you want it just took you a while to catch up to it" Rachel argued, as she ran her finger through Henry's curly hair.

"And you definitely needed to be married off in style" Quinn added.

"Not all out marriages have worked out, but we do throw nice weddings" Mercedes retorted as she looked around the luscious gardens.

"What a lovely thought Mercedes" Quinn snipped, rolling her eyes.

"Hey guys sorry but I have to steal her away, we have to leave soon to make our flight" Brittany said. The second part of Santana's and Brittany's gift was that everyone had pulled together and bought them flights and hotel for four nights in Greece, and their flight was straight after the wedding.

"Hey, she's all yours now" Mercedes laughed, waving her hands, motioning to Santana.

"Yeah and no takebacks" Rachel quipped, smirking at Santana.

"Ready to go" Brittany asked, looking down at Santana

Santana looked up at her lovingly "Yeah"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Saturday Evening**

After Santana and Brittany left for their honeymoon, Rachel and Finn had another drink before calling it a night. They got home, got Rose and Henry ready for bed then poured themselves a glass of wine and took it out onto the patio to enjoy in the cool evening. They sat together on the swing and Finn wrapped his arm around Rachel with the other holding his glass of wine.

"That was a good wedding" Finn commented.

"Yeah I'm glad Brittany and Santana had such a good day" Rachel agreed. Finn put his glass down on the floor then put both his hands onto Rachel's face and pulled her in for a searing kiss. He pulled Rachel on top of him as his tongue slid along Rachel's lips, demanding access.

"No more talking" Finn demanded, pulling away from Rachel slightly as he began to pull Rachel's dress down, moving his mouth down her neck.

Rachel let out a loud moan "Yes Sir"


	7. 4x07 - Glee and The Announcement

**Hey Guys :)**

 **Sorry I didn't upload last week - it was such a busy week at work. I'll update twice this week to make up for it :)**

 **Happy Reading**

* * *

 **4x07 - Glee and The Announcement**

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 **Rachel's Office – Broadway Star Offices – Friday Afternoon**

Three weeks after Santana's wedding, Rachel was in her office going over her cover photos for her next issue, with Tina. The two women picked the cover photo together each month. Rachel had been so busy with the magazine and helping Santana with her wedding that she hadn't been able to talk to Finn about Lydia's visit or figure out how she felt about it.

"I think we should go with cover photo number two, what do you think?" Rachel explained, holding up the second photo. Samantha Jones was the cover girl for the next month's issue and they'd had the shoot two weeks before.

"Absolutely, the photo works better with the headings" Tina agreed.

"Great, can we have the look book ready by three so I can look through it before I leave tonight" Rachel asked, while Tina started collecting the photos that were littering Rachel's desk.

"I'll get on that now" Tina said, before picking up Rachel's ringing office phone "Rachel Berry's office" Tina greeted "Okay one minute please"

"It's Lydia" Tina whispered, holding her hand over the phone before passing it to Rachel. Rachel let out a deep sigh before answering.

"Hi Lydia" Rachel greeted. She had meant to ring Lydia back that week but had chickened out when she realised she didn't know what to say to the young women and because she hadn't mentioned a word of the conversation to Finn.

" _Hi Rachel, I know I said I wouldn't call again if you didn't get back to me but I thought…"_

"It's okay, I was actually going to ring you but things have been crazy busy" Rachel said, watching Tina leave her office with the photos, to give Rachel come privacy.

" _That's fine I get it, I'm in New York to see a specialist – "_

"Is everything okay" Rachel asked, suddenly worried, which she knew told her something.

" _Everything's fine, the adoption agency requires it just to make sure they have all the information for perceptive parents"_ Lydia explained, calmly as she could _"Look I know I said I wouldn't bother you again but I still would like to talk to you properly about this baby if I could"_

"I think that's a good idea, I would like to talk to you about all this if I can, I need to talk to my lawyer as well" Rachel replied, suddenly very excited. Rachel knew there was still a lot that needed doing but she suddenly realised what she wanted to do.

" _Does that mean that you want to adopt the baby"_ Lydia wondered, shyly.

"I don't want to say anything until I spoken to my lawyer if that's okay but we should meet soon to talk" Rachel said, nervously tapping her hand on her desk.

" _Of course, I understand, I'm in New York again for a week when you're ready to talk"_

"I will definitely call you" Rachel concluded. Rachel ended the call then picked up her bag and coat and left her office, closing the door behind her.

"Hey, I'm heading out, I'll be back in an hour" Rachel said, quickly walking past Tina's desk and towards the elevator.

"Okay" Tina replied, not bothering to look up from her computer, too busy with work to wonder what her boss was up to.

 **Santana's Office -** **Stone, Peterson and Balme Law firm, New York World Building** **– Friday Afternoon**

After leaving her office, Rachel went straight over to Santana's office. If Rachel was going to go ahead with Lydia's plan then she wanted everything to be sorted through Santana, so Rachel's mind would be at ease and everything would be legal and above board.

"Hey Rachel, what are you doing here?" Santana asked, looking up from her laptop when she saw Rachel walking into her office, with a nervous energy.

"I need to talk to you?"

"Yeah sure, is everything okay?" Santana wondered as Rachel took a seat across from her at the desk. Santana turned away from her work when she could see it was going to be a serious conversation.

"Lydia called me again, she asked me again about adopting the baby" Rachel replied, quickly going over the brief conversation she had with Lydia before rushing over to Santana's.

"Have you made up your mind?" Santana asked, watching Rachel closely. She could tell her friend was nervous, she just wasn't sure why.

"If I had, what would I have to do?" Rachel wondered, Santana smiled at her friend before answering.

"Well Lydia needs to sign over all legal rights and she would have to tell Jimmy and make him do the same, if he won't he can be focused to because of the situation before"

"Can you help with all that? I don't think that I could see Jimmy again after everything" Rachel sighed, running her hands through her hair. After the court case Rachel never wanted any one in her family to be in the same room as Jimmy, including herself.

"Yeah of course, I can go to the prison and talk to Jimmy and Lydia, so that you don't have too" Santana replied, looking straight at Rachel "You really want to do this?"

"Yeah I think so, Finn and I can love this child just as much as we love Rose and Henry. It would be their sibling, which makes it our child" Rachel affirmed, with a small smile.

"Well there is one thing that you need to before I can move forward with this adoption" Santana quipped, eyeing Rachel as the woman leaned back in her chair.

"What's that" Rachel asked, confused.

Santana smirked at Rachel "You probably need to talk to the man who's about to be a father again"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Friday Afternoon**

Once Rachel left Santana's office she went back to her own office to get some more work done. At 6'0 clock she called it a night and went home, knowing Finn would already be there with the kids and it was a better time than any to tell Finn about Lydia's visit.

"Hey look who's home" Finn said, smiling at Rachel was she walked into the living room.

"Hi Mommy!" Henry cheered, waving at his mother before going back to playing with his action figures, with Rose.

"Hey babies" Rachel gushed, before turning to Finn "Can I talk to you a second?"

Finn nodded then followed Rachel into the kitchen, he could see the tension coming off Rachel and he became worried about what his wife needed to say to him.

"Everything okay?" Finn asked, taking a seat at the breakfast bar while Rachel slowly paced the kitchen.

"A few days before Santana's wedding Lydia came to see me" Rachel started, nervously. She was worried about what Finn would say about her keeping a secret from him for three weeks and she was worried that Finn might not even want to get involved with Lydia again.

"Lydia, why?" Finn asked.

"She's pregnant, about six months along. Its Jimmy's and she doesn't want to keep it so she asked me if we would adopt it" Rachel explained, she finally stopped pacing and turned to face Finn.

"Are you serious?" Finn gaped.

"Deadly, she said that she was putting the baby up for adoption either way but she thought it should be with its siblings, that it should be with a family that can take care of it and she knows that's not her or Jimmy" Rachel concluded, ruining her hands through her hair.

"Why didn't you tell me about this when you first found out, Santana's wedding was three weeks ago" Finn argued.

"I wanted to sort out how I felt about it first and what we would need to do. I spoke to Santana and she said that – "

"You told Santana before you told me?" Finn cut in, angry, jumping up from his seat.

"I wanted some advice about what to do if that's what the direction we decided to go" Rachel reasoned, she moved closer to Finn, but he moved away from her, so she could tell he was angry.

"It sounds to me like you've already made your decision about what you want to do" Finn snipped, rolling his eyes.

"of course, I wouldn't make a decision without you Finn, but you said yourself at Santana's wedding that you wanted more" Rachel argued, desperately. She really wanted Finn to see her side but she could see it wasn't working.

"Yeah of course but in time, you just threw this at me and expected me to make a decision just like that. There's a lot to think about"

Rachel ran her hands through her hair, frustrated "What is there to think about, we have the space and the money and this would be Rose and Henry's sibling"

"Can we really handle Lydia and Jimmy back in our lives again and what if they decide to change their mind again like they did before, that almost killed us" Finn sighed, throwing his head back.

"That's what I'm saying they wouldn't be able to. Lydia is willing to sign over her rights and because Jimmy is in jail he can be forced to sign over his" Rachel pressed, she took Finn's hand in his hers.

"I need to think about this" Finn said, softly, pulling his hand away from Rachel's.

"Finn…"

"I just need to think" Finn pressed before walking back into the living room, leaving Rachel behind.

Rachel stayed in the kitchen, pretending to clean up, while Finn stayed in the living room with the kids. Rachel realised Finn was right, she should have told him from the beginning and she'd had her time to process everything and he need his time.

After twenty minutes of mindlessly cleaning the kitchen, Rachel decided to test the waters with Finn. She left the dish cloth on the kitchen counter and then walked into the living room. She cautiously sat next to him on the sofa and took his hand, while they watched their children play together on the floor.

"Hey" Rachel said, taking Finn's hand in her own, happy when he didn't pull away.

"We have some pretty great kids" Finn smiled, glancing over at her before looking back at the children, who were still playing with the action figures.

"That we do" Rachel agreed, leaning her head on Finn's shoulder.

"One more would be pretty great to" Finn added.

"Really?" Rachel beamed, jumping up to face Finn, a huge smile on her face.

"Of course, I meant what I said before I would have a hundred with you. We can do this and more importantly I want to do this" Finn affirmed. Rachel leaned across and gave Finn a long kiss, once she pulled away she stroked his face affectionately.

"I love you" Rachel smiled sweetly, Finn returned the gaze.

"I love you" Finn returned before leaning down to give her a sweet kiss.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Saturday Morning**

The next day, Rachel had text Santana to tell her they were going through with the adoption and Santana had wasted no time in coming over to their house to get everything sorted. While the family had been enjoying their breakfast in the kitchen, Santana had burst through the door with all the paper work they needed to sign.

"So, I had all the paper work draw up and I spoke to Lydia as well" Santana instructed, taking some papers out of her briefcase, and put them on the counter for Rachel and Finn to sign.

"That was fast" Finn mused, glancing at the living room to make sure Rose and Henry were okay. They had told Rose and Henry to finish their breakfast in the living room while they spoke to Santana. They didn't want the kids to over hear anything until they knew how to explain everything to them.

"Please I knew you were going to do this, Lydia has already spoke to the agency that she has found a family and then rang Fiona, so the social worker can file all the paper work with the agency you are already with" Santana explained, pointing out where the two parents needed to sign.

"So, what's the next step?" Rachel asked once they had finished signing and Santana had put everything away.

"I'm going to arrange to meet Lydia to sign the paper work and then we are going to the prison to talk to Jimmy"

"Do you need us there" Finn wondered, although he could see the reluctant look on Rachel's face. He knew the last thing she would want to do is see Jimmy again.

"No, you shouldn't have to see that guy again. I can handle all the paperwork" Santana affirmed. Rachel let out a relieved sigh before smiling at Santana.

"Thank you, Santana" Rachel smiled.

"I should be back in time for dinner tonight, have you told any of the others" Santana asked, gathering up her things ready to leave. She had already spoken to Lydia and was picking her up from her hotel on the way to the prison.

Rachel shook her head "No and we're not going to until we have everything sorted, with everything that happened last time…"

"It's okay I get it; I won't say a word" Santana cut in, reassuringly "I better get going, I'll see you both tonight"

Finn opened the door for Santana after she gave them both a quick hug "Bye Sans"

Finn closed the door behind Santana then walked back into the kitchen where Rachel was cleaning up the plates from breakfast.

"It's all happening so quick" Finn noted, sitting down on one of the stools, watching Rachel put everything in the dishwasher.

"You still want this right?" Rachel asked. She closed the dishwasher, turned it on then walked over to Finn and positioned herself between his legs.

"Yeah course I do" Finn beamed.

"You know what this means though right" Rachel quipped, smiling at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"What's that"

"You're gonna have to clean out that spare room" Rachel beamed, smirking up at Finn as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

"Oh, I am, am I?"

 **Rikers Island Correctional Centre – Rikers Island – Saturday Afternoon**

Two hours after leaving Finn and Rachel's house, Santana had picked Lydia up from her hotel and the two of them had taken a cab and ferry over to the prison on Rikers Island where Jimmy was being held. Jimmy had been there almost 7 months and had another 3 years left on his sentence.

"So, once we have Jimmy sign these papers that should be everything done, you can just relax for the rest of your pregnancy" Santana explained as the two got closer to the Prison. Lydia nodded as she listened to Santana.

"Thank you for dong all this"

"Of course, Rachel's my best friend" Santana shrugged.

"So, we can really force Jimmy to sign the papers" Lydia wondered, worried.

"We can, he has no rights because of his jail sentence, you can keep his name off the birth certificate and I can be a very persuasive lawyer" Santana explained. She knew Jimmy couldn't technically be forced and they could go ahead with the adoption without him because Finn and Rachel's name would be on the birth certificate but getting Jimmy to sign would give Rachel and Finn some more reassurance that everything would be okay.

"I know I've seen you in action" Lydia quipped before turning serious "I never wanted any of that to happen and it's not going to happen again"

"I know that" Santana agreed, with a slight nod. After just a half an hour car ride it was clear to Santana that Lydia was quite a timid girl who just went along with things because she was scared and wanted to keep the peace especially with someone as violent as Jimmy.

"We're here" Santana noted just as they pulled up outside the prison. Santana payed the cab then the women made their way inside the prison. They went through security then were taken to a holding cell so that they could speak to Jimmy in private. Jimmy was already there when the two women walked into the room.

"Lydia, what are doing here? Who's this? Are you knocked up?" Jimmy argued, jumping up from his seat when he noticed Lydia's baby bump. Santana moved slightly in front of Lydia as they both took a seat across from Jimmy at the metal table in the middle of the room.

"Why don't you take a seat Jimmy" Santana instructed, putting a piece of paper on the table "Miss Martin needs you to sign this"

"What is it?" Jimmy asked, staring at Lydia not bothering to look at the paper put in front of him.

"This document signs away all your legal rights to the child that Lydia is having" Santana replied. Jimmy continued to stare at Lydia, who's hands had moved protectively over her bump.

"Why the hell would I sign that" Jimmy argued, finally looking over at Santana to glare at her.

"You have no choice Jimmy; I'm putting the baby up for adoption and because of your current residence you have no choice but to sign this" Lydia replied, firmly.

"I recognise you, you're the Hudson's lawyer, is that who you're giving our baby too" Jimmy snapped, pointing his finger angrily at Santana, who did not seem a bit concerned.

"This isn't our baby Jimmy; it will never be our baby" Lydia affirmed "Finn and Rachel can provide a home for this baby just like they did for Rose and Henry"

"We could have given them a good home" Jimmy sighed, angrily, slamming his hand down on the table. The prison guard who had been in the corner of the room moved closer to Jimmy but remained silent as Santana stood up and put her hands on the table.

"Mr Price look where you are right now, do you really believe that" Santana asked, sarcastically "Sign the papers, so that we can be on our way"

"I'm not signing anything" Jimmy declared, crossing his arms.

"Jimmy, I have a lot of friends in this prison so unless you want the rest of your sentence here to be an unbearable nightmare that you will never wake up from even after you get out then I suggest you sign these papers and do it quickly" Santana sneered, moving closely to Jimmy, so he could see how serious she was. Jimmy stared back at her for a few moments before reluctantly picking up the pen and scruffily signing his name at the bottom.

"Thank you, Mr Price"

Santana took the paper, then helped Lydia from her seat and the two women left the room. neither of them spoke until they were outside the prison and on the side walk waiting for the car, that Santana had ordered.

"You're right you can be very persuasive" Lydia smirked, glancing over at Santana. Santana nodded in agreement.

"With this signed it can mean Jimmy is finally out of your life as well. You can have a fresh start away from him" Santana affirmed.

Lydia nodded "That's what I'm hoping for"

 **Kung Fu Palace – China Town – Saturday Afternoon**

While Santana was still at the prison, the others were at a Chinese restaurant having dinner together, they were having dinner earlier than normal because they had three children with them who had bed times before 8'0 clock.

"Hey Brittany, Santana not with you" Quinn asked, when Brittany walked over to the table. She was the last to arrive so she sat in the middle of the table with a spare seat next to her that should have been for Santana.

"She got held up with a client she said to start without her" Brittany replied, picking up a menu to take a look.

"Hey Britt" NJ greeted, waving at Brittany before climbing over his mother's lap to sit on Brittany's lap.

"Hey little man" Brittany laughed, as she started to play with NJ's spiky hair.

"I'm not little anymore" NJ grumbled, crossing his arms and pouting, much to the amusement of the table.

"I know you're getting so big!" Brittany enthused, giving NJ a kiss on the cheek. Eventually NJ settled and helped Brittany pick something from the menu while everyone else had their own conversations

"Mommy can I have a pudding" Rose asked, pouting at her mother, and batting her eyelashes.

"If you eat all your dinner Sweetie" Rachel replied, chuckling that her daughter was already thinking about dessert when they hadn't even ordered yet. She stroked her daughter's hair as she caught the end of Sam and Mercedes conversation who were sat next to her at the end of table at the opposite end to Quinn and Puck.

"Why are you staring at them" Sam asked Mercedes, who was discreetly staring at Quinn and Puck who were pointedly ignoring each other.

"They haven't said a word to each other since we got here, I think they are fighting again" Mercedes noted, turning to Sam so that Quinn and Puck couldn't hear their friends talking about them.

"We can't get involved Mercedes, married couples fight" Sam reasoned, with a shrug. He'd heard from Mercedes about the issues the others thought Puck and Quinn were having but so far hadn't seen it himself.

"To the extent of not speaking to each other when out with friends" Mercedes pointed out.

"Better than arguing at the dinner table" Sam quipped, giving her a pointed look when Quinn looked up from her menu and glanced their way.

"You know what client is keeping Santana, Britt" Quinn asked. Rachel and Finn shared a quick look, hoping Santana hadn't said anything to her wife.

"Not got a clue, not that she could tell me anyway. It must have been important for her to do it on a Saturday" Brittany replied.

"You too okay there" Mercedes asked when she noticed Rachel and Finn smiling widely at each other. Rachel turned to face her friend, hoping Mercedes couldn't read the secret on her face.

Rachel nodded, trying not to gape "What! Yeah we're fine"

 **Holiday Inn – Brooklyn – Saturday Evening**

An hour after leaving the Prison, Santana had dropped Lydia back at her hotel. The two women hadn't spoken on the ride back because nothing really needed to be said but Santana had still wanted to make sure that Lydia was okay once she got back to her hotel. After spending the afternoon with her, Santana could see that Lydia was a lonely woman, who was still living with the mistakes she'd made in the past.

"Thank you for dropping me off at my hotel" Lydia said, getting out of the taxi "And for your help with everything today"

"It's no problem, I'll have the social worker call you when everything is filed" Santana replied, getting out of the cab as well after telling him to wait a minute for her. She walked Lydia to the hotel reception, she could see that seeing Jimmy had been draining for Lydia.

Lydia nodded "That's sounds fine"

"Rose, she's 4 now. She loves anything to do with Frozen and build-a-bears and will do absolutely anything for a cookie. She's just started taking dance lessons after I let her watch Step Up – Finn didn't like it but you can never say no when she pouts at you. And Henry, he does anything he can to make people laugh, he's always happy. He likes Spiderman and he cried for a week when Rose told him that he wasn't real" Santana explained, looking away from Lydia's prying eyes, hoping Rachel wouldn't be too angry with her for what she had divulged.

"Why are you telling me this?" Lydia wondered.

"I just thought that you should know that Rose and Henry have a pretty great life because of Rachel and Finn, and that baby will have one as well, you're doing a good thing Lydia" Santana affirmed.

"Trust me I know that" Lydia replied, taking something out of her bag "Can you give this to Finn and Rachel"

"I can, bye Lydia" Santana said, putting the photo in her bag before, walking out of the hotel and getting back into her cab.

 **Kung Fu Palace – China Town – Saturday Evening**

Half an hour later, Santana still hadn't arrived but everyone else had pretty much finished their meals and Henry was already fast asleep in her mother's lap. Mercedes was still watching Quinn and Puck, who despite sitting at the end of the table together, had not really spoken to one another all night.

"Look at that, they are barely looking at each other" Mercedes noted, nodding her head slightly at Quinn and Puck, while looking at Rachel.

"They might just be having an off day" Rachel reasoned. Truthfully, she was tired with talking about Puck and Quinn, especially when neither of them wanted to talk about it.

"I don't know I think it's more than that. I think they are having real problems they just don't want to tell any of us" Mercedes argued.

"Why, you guys talk about everything" Sam asked.

"Quinn is always comparing her relationship to Finn and Rachel's and it's probably killing her that she's having problems. She'll want to save face" Mercedes whispered, glancing at Quinn to see her in a conversation with Brittany while Puck was listening to a story from NJ and Rose.

"Sounds like someone else I know" Sam quipped, giving Mercedes a look.

"Which is why I know the signs" Mercedes said, before taking a drink of her wine.

"Hey guys" Santana greeted, walking over to the table. Everyone greeted her as she took a seat next to Brittany and gave her a quick kiss.

"We'll almost finished, do you want to order something?" Brittany asked.

"No, I'm fine, I grabbed something on the way back from Brooklyn" Santana replied, picking up a fork and taking some of Brittany's leftover noodles. While everyone continued their conversations, Santana took out a photo and note from her bag and discreetly passed them to Rachel.

Rachel turned it over to see a sonogram picture of their baby with a note attached to it in Santana's writing.

 _JIMMY SIGHED, EVRYTHING WILL BE FINALISED BY THE END OF THE END OF THE WEEK_

Finn beamed as he read the note over her shoulder before Rachel put it in her handbag. Finn gave her a quick kiss before turning to their friends.

"Hey, do you guys wanna come back to ours for a night cap" Finn asked. They all had finished their meals and had no really plans for what to do after so Rachel and Finn knew it was the right time to tell their friends about the baby.

"We're in" Santana replied, glancing at Brittany who nodded in agreement.

"Us too" Mercedes added.

"I don't know, we should be getting NJ to bed" Quinn sighed, looking over at Puck who nodded curtly.

"Just one drink Quinn, NJ can stay over at ours" Rachel pressed.

Quinn shook her head "We really should…"

"Quinn just one drink" Rachel cut in, giving Quinn a look.

Quinn nodded, reluctantly "Okay, one drink"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Saturday Evening**

Half an hour later, the group had arrived back at Rachel and Finn's house and while Rachel settled Henry in bed then set up a game for Rose and NJ in the playroom, Finn got everyone a drink while the others speculated about why Rachel and Finn wanted them all together for a drink.

"Well that's them three settled" Rachel said, walking down the stairs and into the kitchen where everyone else was waiting, with their drinks.

"Good, here you go" Finn said, handing Rachel a glass of wine, giving her a loving look which she quickly returned.

"So, what's with the night cap, I have a feeling you guys want to tell us something" Mercedes mused, looking between Rachel and Finn who were stills staring at each other.

"We do actually" Finn smiled, he nodded at Rachel for her to tell their friends. Rachel gave him a quick kiss on the cheek then turned to their waiting friends.

"Finn and I are adopting another baby" Rachel beamed.

"What! Are you serious, how?" Mercedes exclaimed, giving Rachel and Finn each a hug. Sam and Brittany both beamed at them while Puck and Quinn shared a quick look before looking away from each other. Rachel explained to them her meetings with Lydia and what Santana was doing for them to get it all legalised.

"That's where I was today, finalising everything for them" Santana added, smiling at Rachel and Finn as Brittany wrapped her arm around her.

"I can't believe it that's amazing guys" Sam grinned. Everyone glanced over at Quinn and Puck hadn't said anything to Rachel and Finn.

"Yeah congratulations" Quinn said, half-heartedly. Things became tense as everyone noticed that Quinn and Puck didn't seemed as pleased or as interested as the others were.

"Come on Puck, this is usually when you do the most talking" Brittany smirked, nudging Puck as she held up her drink.

"Huh!" Puck gaped, straightening himself up to see everyone staring at him.

"A speech" Finn said, narrowing his eyes as he watched his friend carefully, he wrapped his arm around Rachel and pulled her close.

"Oh yeah, Uhmm to Finn and Rachel, they are two very lucky people, they put us all to shame" Puck said, trying to sound convincing and failing "To Finn and Rachel"

"Finn and Rachel" Everyone cheered, holding up their glasses before taking a drink. Finn leaned down to give Rachel a sweet kiss.

 **XoXo**

An hour later, everyone had left to go home when Quinn and Puck's mood was getting to all of them. While Finn went to check on the sleeping children, Rachel poured them another drink and moved into the garden.

"They all still okay" Rachel asked, when she noticed Finn walk out into the garden.

"Yeah out like a light, not even Puck taking NJ can disturb our children" Finn quipped, taking his glass of wine from Rachel, and taking a seat next to her on the porch swing

"You wanna talk about that speech he made" Rachel asked. They had also noticed that Quinn and Puck weren't as happy for Rachel and Finn as they normally would have been and they knew it was because of the tension that was in their own marriage that they still refused to talk to anyone about.

"Not really" Finn replied, with a sigh before taking a drink.

"I can see it, they are both hurting and I really don't think there is anything we do" Rachel relented, shaking her head sadly.

"There isn't Rachel" Finn agreed, wrapping his arm around her "But this is about us, and our family. Puck was right about one thing we are very lucky"

"That we are, I love you Mr Hudson" Rachel enthused. Finn pulled her closer and gave her a lingering kiss.

"Right back at ya Mrs Hudson"


	8. 4x08 - Glee and The Todd Problem

**New Chapter Guys :)**

 **Quick Side Note: Don't Hate Me! I Promise Things Will Get Better**

 **Happy Reading**

* * *

 **4x08 - Glee and The Todd Problem**

* * *

 **The Diner – Park Avenue – Wednesday Afternoon**

Two weeks after telling their friends about the new baby, Rachel was at the diner with her friends showing them the latest scan photo that Lydia had sent them. Lydia had gone back to Long Beach to stay with her parents and Finn and Rachel hadn't been able to make the appointment, but Lydia had sent them the picture along with the information that they were having another boy.

"Gosh, he already looks so big" Quinn gushed, looking over the sonogram picture before handing it back to Rachel. Quinn had been a lot happier about Rachel and Finn's news since her less than enthusiastic response when she found out.

"Yeah, I know, and she has another month to go but the doctor said that everything is fine" Rachel replied, gently putting the photo back in her bag. "What about you guys, anything new?"

"I'm having dinner with Brittany's parents tonight and I'm not looking forward to it" Santana moaned, the others looked at her confused.

"Why? They seemed okay at the wedding" Mercedes noted. Brittany's family hadn't been at all like the other rich families she knew, mainly Matt's, Finn's, and Quinn's who all acted like rich snobs, they were kind and loving people.

"They are, but they are very protective over Brittany and she's told her mom all about our other break ups and I'm sure they think it's all my fault" Santana explained.

"Well your married now and things are different, they know how much you love their daughter" Mercedes enthused, reassuringly.

"Yeah and things could be worse" Rachel quipped, smirking at Santana "Carol and Burt could be your in-laws"

"isn't that true" Santana agreed before taking a drink of her latte. Everyone went back to their meals in front of them but looked to Quinn when her phone started ringing on the table. Santana glanced at it then gaped when she saw the name.

"Why is Todd Waters calling you" Santana asked. Todd Waters had been Quinn's on and off again boyfriend in college. Quinn had worshiped him even though he treated her badly and the girls had all been thankful when Quinn had finally ended it with him for good.

"Oh, he's moved back to town recently and he tried calling me, I always ignore it" Quinn explained lamely as she pressed ignore on her phone. Rachel gave her a strange look, not quite believing Quinn's story.

"You should block his number" Rachel noted, before going back to her burger. Quinn nodded as she put her phone back into her bag ignoring the looks Mercedes and Santana were giving her.

"Yeah good idea… what about you Mercedes anything new with you" Quinn asked, eager to change the subject.

"Nothing at all, I love my apartment and things are going great with Sam" Mercedes beamed, smiling widely at her friends. They all smiled back, happy that after such a hectic year, Mercedes was finally happy.

Santana smirked at her, as she stabbed her fork into her pasta dish "I think you just jinxed yourself"

 **Walking Towards Time Square – Wednesday Afternoon**

After lunch, Rachel and Santana decided to walk back to their offices together. Both women were deep in thought, Santana couldn't stop thinking about her dinner with Brittany's family and Rachel couldn't stop thinking about Quinn's phone call from Todd Waters. They had almost reached Park Avenue when Rachel decided to ask Santana about Quinn's phone call.

"Do you think there was more to Todd calling Quinn" Rachel asked.

"In what way?" Santana asked, glancing over at her as they crossed the street leading to Rachel's building.

"I don't know I just thought it was weird that he would move back to New York and the first person he would call is an old ex-girlfriend" Rachel reasoned.

"Maybe, I did hear him, and the wife aren't very happy, couldn't stand life in the suburbs apparently and he spends most of his time in New York while the wife is still back there. Anyway, their daughter now splits her time between Manhattan and Newark. Goes to Finn's school. So, I guess he thought he might be able to relive his college years with Quinn" Santana explained, Rachel looked at her in amusement and bewilderment.

"How do you know all this?"

"I know people" Santana shrugged "What were you thinking anyway?"

"I don't know, I guess something just didn't feel right about it all" Rachel replied. She didn't like doubting Quinn but Todd was not someone to be trusted and Quinn never did have good judgement around him.

"I'm sure it's nothing, Quinn would never be so stupid to get involved with Todd again"

"Yeah your probably right" Rachel agreed. She glanced at Santana to see the worried expression back on her face "You still worried about tonight"

"After everything we're been though, Brittany and I are finally in the honeymoon period and I just want it to stay like that for a little longer"

"And it will do, Brittany made an effort to get to know all of us, all she's asking is for you to do the same with her family" Rachel argued. Santana thought about what Rachel said for a few moments, they eventually reached Rachel's building and Rachel stopped outside and waited for Santana's to reply.

"I know I'm over reacting to the dinner"

"Yes, you are" Rachel quipped, smirking at Santana who rolled her eyes in reply.

"I just want to be a good wife and I'm just not sure how to do that yet" Santana acknowledged. Santana knew Brittany put up with a lot when it came to Santana and her friends and Santana knew she had to start making more of an effort to include Brittany in more of her life and to feel more included in Brittany's.

"Santana, being a good wife, takes years of practice, I'm still learning. Don't be too hard on yourself" Rachel reasoned, squeezing Santana's arm affectionately "I'll talk to you later"

"Yeah, I'll call you after the dinner" Santana replied, before crossing the street, while Rachel went into her building.

 **Quinn's Office -** **L &M Arts modern Art Gallery – Wednesday Afternoon **

Quinn was packing up her bag, ready to leave for the day, when there was a knock on her door. Quinn looked up to see Finn slowly walking into her office.

"Finn, hey what are you doing here" Quinn asked, confused. Finn had never been to her office before and he almost seemed nervous as he closed the door behind him and walked further into her office.

"I came to give you this" Finn said, dropping Quinn's museum ID on to her desk. Quinn picked it up and let out a sigh of relief.

"I thought I'd lost it, was it at your house" Quinn asked, dropping the ID into her bag before looking back at Finn who couldn't seem to look her in the eye.

"Actually, Todd Waters gave it to me" Finn said, calmly.

"Oh god" Quinn gasped, covering her face with her hands.

"He said he'd been trying to call you for a few days and let you know that he had it but you wouldn't answer, so when he dropped his daughter off this morning, he came to see me" Finn explained, trying to stay calm. Finn remembered Quinn's history with Todd and he knew it didn't mean anything good if Quinn and Todd had been in contact again.

Quinn straightened herself up "Finn I can explain…"

"I don't want an explanation Quinn, whatever is going on with you and Puck is between the two of you. We're all being trying to help you both for weeks but you're clearly beyond our help now" Finn lectured as he paced Quinn's office "But I will say this, I won't keep a secret from Puck. What ever happened to lead to Todd Waters having your ID, Puck needs to be told, your husband deserves to know what is going on with you"

"Finn, I know what you must be thinking" Quinn said, ashamed.

"I don't think anything. I'm not going to keep a secret from Puck or from Rachel. So, you have 24 hours to tell him and whatever he decides to do with the information is for him to decide" Finn concluded, he straightened the strap of his bag on his shoulder then started to leave Quinn's office.

"Finn, I can't stand the thought of you hating me" Quinn called to his retreating figure. Finn let out a sigh then turned back to face Quinn.

"That's your problem Quinn, you always care about what other people think about you except for the person that actually matters" Finn affirmed. Quinn looked away from him ashamed, realising nothing else could be said between the two old friends.

"Tell him tonight Quinn" Finn said, before leaving her office and closing the door behind him. Quinn threw herself down on her office chair as the tears began to fall, she didn't bother wiping them away as she slowly picked up her bag and coat, ready to leave her office and have a real conversation with her husband.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Wednesday Afternoon**

Once Finn had left Quinn's office, he had picked up the children from school then took them home. Rose immediately demanded to have a tea party with her brother and father and Finn decided it was a good way to get his mind off Quinn and Puck. So, he helped Rose set up her plastic table and chairs in the middle of the living room, then Rose set about getting her Beauty and the Beast Tea set organised on the table along with a plate of cookies Finn got from the kitchen. That's where Rachel found them when she got home two hours later. She walked into the living room to see Rose had changed into her Belle costume, Finn had a plastic tiara on his head and Henry had on his Batman costume with a tiara hanging from his head.

"Well hello dear family" Rachel mused smiling at her family.

"Mommy come play with us" Rose exclaimed waving her hand at her mother. Rachel shrugged off her coat then took a seat at the small table. She leaned over to give Finn a quick kiss and that's when she noticed the look on his face. While Finn seemed happy, she could see there was something underling in his thoughts as well.

"Hey is everything okay?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, I guess" Finn sighed, Rachel gave him a questioning look "I'll tell you about it later"

Rachel decided to let it go for the time being as she watched Rose pretend to pour her mother some tea into her plastic cup and saucer before handing her a cookie.

"Here's a cookie as well, but only one. Daddy said we have to have dinner before we have anymore" Rose explained, as she slapped her hands away as Henry tried to reach for her teapot.

"Thank god for Daddy" Rachel said, smiling over at Finn.

"Has Quinn called you?" Finn asked, when Rose and Henry were occupied squabbling over who should pour the next drink.

"No, I saw her this afternoon though" Rachel narrowed her eyes at Finn "Is this why you're in a weird mood, does this have something to do with Todd Waters"

"Did you already know" Finn gaped, but Rachel just gave him a confused look.

"Know what, what is going on" Rachel wondered just as someone knocked on their door. Finn jumped up from the table and went to answer it, not surprised to find Puck on the other side of the door.

"Hey man, sorry to drop by like this but I was hoping that I could stay here for a few days" Puck said as Finn motioned him inside before closing the door behind him.

"Yeah course man, can I get you a drink" Finn asked, he took Puck's bag form him and dropped it by the stairs before the two men walked into the kitchen.

"I could do with a scotch if you have it" Puck mused. Finn was pouring them both a glass when Rachel walked into the kitchen with both children on her arm.

"Puck what are you doing here" Rachel asked as she put Henry down on one of the stools. Puck looked over at Finn briefly.

"We don't know anything" Finn noted. Puck nodded, downed all the scotch in the tumbler in front of them then looked back at Rachel and Finn.

"It seems that after a fight two weeks ago, my wife left our apartment, met up with an old boyfriend and went back to his apartment" Puck mused, before picking up Finn's glass and drinking his scotch.

"I'm so sorry Puck" Finn said, sadly as he poured his friend another drink, Rachel continued to gape at him, not really comprehending what Puck had told them. "Did she tell you if anything happened"

"They kissed, then she realised what she was doing and got out of there" Puck shrugged. Finn decided not to ask anything else as he could see Puck didn't want to talk about it.

"Here Noah take this" Rachel said, handing Puck the bottle of scotch "Finn's going to order some Chinese, I know that's your favourite, and then you can watch the goriest horror film there is"

"Thanks Rachel" Puck laughed humourlessly before taking the bottle and walking into the living room. Rachel waited until Puck was out of ear shot before turning to Finn.

"When did you find this out" Rachel asked. Finn quickly told Rachel about his brief conversation with Todd then with Quinn that day. "I can't believe it! I think I need to talk to Quinn"

"Yeah you go talk to Quinn, I'll order some food and keep Puck company" Finn replied. Rachel nodded in agreement, gave Finn a kiss goodbye, then slipped on her shoes and jacket, grabbing her phone on the way as she left the house.

 **Per Se Restaurant – Columbus Circus – Wednesday Evening**

At the same time, Santana and Brittany were at a fancy French restaurant with Brittany's parents. They had just ordered their meals when Santana's phone started to ring, she quickly went to press ignore before shoving it back in her pocket.

"Sorry about that" Santana said, apologetic as she took a sip of her wine.

"its fine" Ann replied, with a sweet smile "I feel like I haven't seen the two of you since the wedding"

"I know, it's my fault, I've been very busy at work" Santana explained, Brittany smiled at her affectionately as she squeezed her leg.

"So, Dad, how's work" Brittany asked, Brittany's father was about to answer when Santana's phone started to ring again.

"Maybe you should answer that, it seemed important" Ann said, in a clipped tone. Santana took out her phone, hoping to get through the call quickly.

"Rachel, I need to call you back… wait what!... are you serious? Okay I'll see you in a minute" Santana said before putting the phone down and shoving it in her bag.

"See you in a minute" Brittany questioned, giving Santana a pointed look.

"Somethings happened, I need to go, I'm really sorry" Santana whispered as she put on her coat. "I know you probably want to kill me but I really need to go"

"Its fine, I'll see you later" Brittany said, in an eerily calming tone, turning away from Santana as she took a sip of her wine. Santana didn't even dare to glance at Brittany's parents as she picked up her bag and quickly left the restaurant where Rachel was waiting for her in a cab.

 **Quinn and Puck's Apartment – Upper East Side – Wednesday Evening**

Once Rachel had picked up Santana at the restaurant, they went to Mercedes' new apartment to pick her up then went over to Quinn's Apartment. Rachel knocked on the front door and the girls only had to wait a few seconds before a very distressed Quinn, answered the door. She was in sweats, her hair in a messy bun and it was obvious to them that she had been crying because she had smudged mascara and tear tracks down her face. Quinn opened the door further and let them in, they followed her into the living room where they noticed two empty bottles of wine on the coffee table.

"I hope NJ is already asleep because he shouldn't have to see this" Rachel noted as she took a seat on the sofa next to Santana and Mercedes, while Quinn sat on the love seat and picked up her wine glass.

"He's asleep. So, I'm sure you're here to yell at me, but you can save it. I know I messed up" Quinn argued before taking a sip of her wine. Santana rolled her eyes then leaned across and took the wine from Quinn.

"Getting drunk isn't going to help. So why don't you start by telling us what exactly happened with that idiot and then we'll decide how mad at you we are" Santana said, giving Quinn a pressing look.

"it was the night, you and Finn told us about the baby. When we got home we had a huge fight" Quinn started, not able to look any of her friends in the eyes "I'd had enough of all the fighting so I stormed out of the apartment and went to a bar, that's when I bumped into Todd. We started talking about his divorce and how he was back in town. One thing lead to another and we were back at his apartment"

"Did you sleep with him" Mercedes asked.

"No, we kissed and it was leading that way but I came to my senses and got out of there and went home" Quinn concluded, ashamed. "I'll admit, I wasn't going to tell Noah, I just wanted to forget, that's why I was ignoring Todd's calls. I want to forget everything that happened and the stupid mistake I had made"

"Quinn, you should know from mine and Mercedes mistakes that, that doesn't happen" Santana mused, giving Quinn a pointed look. "What are you going to do now, how are you going to fix this"

"I don't know if I can fix this" Quinn sighed, throwing her head back on her chair.

"Do you even want to fix this Quinn" Rachel asked. Quinn looked up and gaped at her.

"How can you even ask me that Rachel, of course I do" Quinn exclaimed. Santana and Mercedes shared a look, noticing the tension between the two friends.

"Then getting drunk off cheap wine is going to help. You have to show Noah how sorry you are and that you want to fix this" Rachel ranted. "But Quinn this cheating thing wasn't your only problem, you and Noah have been fighting for weeks and I think it's about time that you both address the real issues in your relationship"

Quinn rolled her eyes, frustrated "Rachel, I know all this okay! I don't need to be reminded about how bad my marriage is"

"You know what, I think Quinn wants to wallow in her pity party for a while" Santana quipped, getting up from the sofa "Why don't we let her do that, and we'll come back tomorrow when she has a better attitude for getting her husband back"

Quinn didn't say anything, except pick up the wine glass Santana had put back on the coffee table. The girls could see she was in no mood to really talk, so Rachel and Mercedes followed Santana out of the door, closing it behind them without another word from Quinn.

"Do you really think, we should just leave her alone" Mercedes asked, worried glancing back at the closed door. While Quinn wasn't in the mood to talk, they didn't think she should be alone either.

"I have to go talk to Brittany, make sure she's not too mad at me for ditching her at the restaurant" Santana replied.

"I promised Noah and Finn, I'd bring back food and I should probably watch the kids while Finn watches Noah" Rachel added, both of them looked over at Mercedes who nodded back at them.

"I'll stay with her, I'll call you guys later" Mercedes said before walking back inside Quinn's apartment while Rachel and Santana made their way to the elevator.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Wednesday Evening**

While Rachel was with Quinn, Finn cleaned up the tea seat in the living room, settled Rose and Henry in the play room, taken the bottle of scotch from their small bar then joined Puck in the living room so Puck could tell him exactly what Quinn had told him about her night with Todd.

"Wow! Todd always had this weird hold on Quinn in college, we were all relieved when she finally ended it" Finn said, once Puck had finished telling him what Quinn had told him.

"Looks like he still has that hold" Puck sighed, before downing the rest of his scotch. Puck had only eaten a few slices of the pizza Finn had found in the fridge deciding he was more interested in drinking the scotch instead.

"What are you going to do?" Finn wondered, glancing over at Puck. Finn had never seen his friend so dejected.

"I have no idea, I'm not stupid I knew something was coming for a while, we've been fighting none stop" Puck exclaimed, turning to Finn "You know why we were arguing that night, it because after your announcement, Quinn thought it would be a good idea to try for a baby, like that was going to somehow fix us… it's like she feels like we have to compete with you guys for the perfect marriage"

"I'm so sorry mate" Finn replied, sadly, shaking his head. For the first time Finn had no clue what to say to his friend, he knew Puck and Quinn had been having problems and now felt guilty he hadn't gotten involved sooner.

"It's not your fault mate, this is on me and Quinn… now we need to think about what's best for NJ"

"What do you mean?"

"I need to decide if living in a house where all he sees his parents arguing is a great environment for my son. I love Quinn, I probably always will but is that enough anymore" Puck sighed, he leaned across the coffee table, and poured himself some more scotch, he leaned back but made no move to drink it. Finn had a feeling Puck just needed something to do, his friend was always uncomfortable when talking about his feelings.

"I think only you can answer that Puck"

They both looked up when they heard the door open then close, alerting them that Rachel was home, a few seconds later she walked into the living room and put a new bottle of scotch on the coffee table, that she had picked up, on the way home.

"Thought you might need another bottle" Rachel mused, with a sad smile as she noticed the almost empty bottle next to the full one.

"Ya know, I think I might go, drink this in the spare room if that's okay" Puck said, getting up from the sofa, taking the bottle with him.

"You sure, you're okay mate" Finn asked, worried. He didn't feel right leaving his friend alone when he was clearly so upset. Puck glanced at Finn and Rachel before nodding slowly.

"I just need to be by myself for a while" Puck replied before walking out of the living room, while Rachel and Finn shared a worried look.

 **XoXo**

Once Puck had gone to the spare room, which was just their office with a sofa bed, Rachel and Finn went to the play room to check on Rose and Henry. Rose was busy playing with her Barbie's and Henry was too busy with playing with his building block, so neither child noticed as their parents came into the room and sat in the two lounger chairs to watch their children play.

"So, how's Quinn?" Finn asked after a few minutes of them silently watching Henry and Rose.

"A mess. Right in the middle of a pity party. Mercedes is gonna stay with her tonight" Rachel replied, as she watched Henry put the last of his building blocks on top of the tower before knocking it all down with delighted glee.

"Did she tell you why they were fighting that night? It was because she told Puck that she thought they should have another baby"

"Of course, she did" Rachel sneered, shaking her head.

"I've never been so angry at Quinn before" Finn noted, sullen "I don't know what to say to Puck to help him and I'm not sure I even want to speak to Quinn, which I never thought I would say of my oldest friend"

Rachel moved closely to Finn and wrapped her arms around his middle "Just be there for Noah right now, I'll deal with Quinn... its Noah that needs you"

"I'm not sure how I can help him" Finn realised, sadly. He wasn't used to not knowing what to say to help his friend but Finn had been lucky, he'd never had the kind of marriage problems that Puck was now facing.

"Let him wallow tonight and figure it out in the morning. I know you, you'll find the right words eventually" Rachel replied, before giving him a light kiss on the cheek.

Finn nodded, firmly "You're right" Finn nodded his head towards Rose and Henry "Should we get these two to bed"

Rachel nodded, so the two parents got up and moved closer to their children, who were still playing unaware of their parent's presence.

"Okay Rosie, time for bed" Rachel said, bending down to her daughter's level. Rose jumped at her mother's words and finally turned around to face her parents.

"Mommy, when did you get home"

 **Brittany and Santana's Apartment – Upper East Side – Wednesday Evening**

Santana walked into hers and Brittany's apartment to find her wife, watching television already in her pyjamas, with a glass of wine. She didn't look angry or upset which Santana took as a good sign as she walked into the living room, leaving her bag and coat by the door. She sat down next to Brittany and gave her a quick kiss, before taking the wine glass from Brittany and taking a drink.

"Is everything okay then, what happened" Brittany asked. Santana hadn't replied to any of her texts when she had left the restaurant, so Brittany had assumed something awful must have happened but after texting Finn, she was relieved to find out nobody was in any danger, but he was reluctant to go into what exactly had happened.

"Quinn cheated on Puck, or sort of cheated, it's a long story" Santana said, through a yawn and she laid her head back on the sofa.

"That's awful, is Puck okay?"

"Not sure, he's staying with Rachel and Finn, and Mercedes decided to stay with Quinn" Santana answered, closing her eyes. It had been a long day and she was ready for bed "So how mad were your parents that I bailed on dinner?"

"They weren't mad, I've already told them what you and your friends are like" Brittany commented, as she took back her wine glass and took a long drink.

"What do you mean?" Santana asked, sitting up, but before Brittany could answer Santana's phone started to ring "Can you hold on a second its Mercedes" Santana rushed out, before picking up her phone and walking out of the room. Brittany let out a sigh and took another drink of her wine.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Early Thursday Morning**

It was 4 in the morning when Rachel crept down stairs to get herself a glass of water so she was very surprised to find Puck sat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee. She could tell from the bags under his eyes that he hadn't slept.

"Couldn't sleep?" Rachel asked as she walked into the kitchen. She took a bottle of water from the fridge then pushed herself up onto the counter.

"Not really" Puck sighed, both hands holding his coffee cup but not making a move to drink it.

"You wanna talk about it?" Rachel asked.

"Not really"

"Noah" Rachel started, jumping off the counter and walking over to Puck "I in no way want you to think that I'm defending Quinn or what's she's done…"

"But?"

"I know that she loves you, and she is truly sorry for what's she done. Quinn reacts poorly to stress, she always has and Todd always had this hold on her. But it should never have happened and Quinn knows that"

Puck nodded, slowly so Rachel knew he was listening but his eyes remained fixed on his cup. Eventually Puck looked up to face Rachel "You know what I think the biggest problem with my relationship with Quinn is…. I'm not Finn"

Rachel shook her head "That's not true, Quinn loves you Puck"

"Maybe so, and I'm not saying she loves Finn but she wishes I was more like him. She wishes we had the fairy tale romance she thinks you guys have, she wishes she didn't have to tell people she settled for the guy who got her pregnant after a one-night stand" Puck argued. Rachel stared at him, not sure what to say because as devastating as it was to Puck, there was some truth to what he had said.

"I'm gonna try and get some sleep" Puck said, getting up of the stool and walking out of the kitchen, without another word from Rachel.

 **Quinn's Office -** **L &M Arts modern Art Gallery – Thursday Afternoon**

Quinn was trying to get some work done in her office, when there was a knock on her door. She looked up to see Puck walking into her office. He closed the door behind him, he remained standing instead of sitting down. Quinn was surprised to see him, he hadn't returned any of her calls or texts and Finn had picked up some clothes from their apartment so Puck wouldn't have to.

"Noah, I wasn't expecting to see you" Quinn said, nervously, looking up at Puck, who remained stoic by the door.

"I thought you should know that I'm staying with Finn and Rachel for a while. I just think it would be for the best. We can decide arrangements for NJ later. I want him to stay with me at least twice a week" Puck explained, crossing his arms.

"Okay" Quinn nodded lamely "Noah I never wanted any of this to happen. I hope you know how sorry am I"

"Would you have told me if that dirtbag hadn't spoken to Finn" Puck wondered. Quinn looked away from him, ashamed. She had been expecting the question every since she told him about Todd and she knew, that even though a part of her wanted to, she couldn't lie to him.

"I don't think I would have no, I wanted to forget it ever happened"

Puck nodded solely "That's what I thought"

"I really am sorry Noah" Quinn said, sadly. Puck nodded again before opening the door the door ready to leave.

"I'll talk to you soon" Puck stated firmly before leaving her office closing the door behind him. Quinn waited until she knew Puck had walked away before letting out a frustrated cry and throwing all the papers off her desk, before slurping into her seat as tears began to fall.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Friday Evening**

As a thank you for letting him stay at their house, Puck had said he would babysit Henry and Rose. He argued, it would be their last chance to have a night just a two of them for a while, especially with the new baby coming. So, Finn had taken Rachel to her favourite restaurant, then they enjoyed a walk in Central Park, past their favourite fountain before returning home to Puck passed out on the sofa, with Rose and Henry cuddled up next to him and a Disney movie playing in the back ground.

Once they had woken Puck and put their children to bed, Rachel and Finn retreated to their bedroom to finish off their relaxing night. They changed into more comfortable clothes then cuddled up on the bed together. Rachel put some music on their wireless speakers then climbed onto Finn's lap.

"Well hello there" Finn quipped, seductively. Rachel leaned down and gave him a passionate kiss, grabbing his face with her hands. Finn wrapped his arms around Rachel and pulled her closer to him. Eventually Rachel pulled away but stared lovingly at Finn.

"What was that for, not that I'm complaining at all" Finn mused, giving Rachel a gentle kiss, moving his hands up to brush some of her hair away from her eyes.

"Thank you for being such an amazing husband" Rachel gushed. The week had shown Rachel just how perfect her marriage was, and she hoped Finn knew just how luckily Rachel knew she was to be married to someone like Finn. "I hope you know how much I love you, and how lucky I am that you asked me to dance at prom"

"Best decision of my life" Finn beamed before pulling Rachel in for another loving kiss.


	9. 4x09 - Glee and The Separation

**Okay I'm gonna be a pain in the bum and say next episode comes when I get to 60 Review :) Let me know what you think good or bad! what you think might happen or what you want to happen - tell me anything!**

 **Happy Reading**

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 **4x09 – Glee and The Separation**

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 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Sunday Morning**

Puck walked into the kitchen to find the Hudson family already sat together, having breakfast at the kitchen counter. Nobody noticed him so he hung back for a minute to watch them. Rachel was looking down at Rose as the young girl excitedly told her mother a story while Finn watched his family lovingly. Finn and Rachel always made marriage look easy, but Puck never resented them for it because they'd had to deal with their own struggles, like watching their two best friends have a baby without even trying.

After a few moments Puck decided he'd watched them enough and walked into the kitchen to join them.

"Morning Hudson's" Puck cheered, Finn and Rachel shared a look. They saw right through his sunny disposition.

"Morning Uncle Noah, do you want some waffles, they are so good" Rose enthused, holding up her plate for her Uncle. Finn put it back down for her then nodded his head towards the open take out containers in front of them.

"Help yourself, mate, we've all had ours" Finn commented. Puck didn't need to be told twice so he quickly helped himself to some waffles, fruit, and bacon before jumping up to sit on the kitchen counter.

"So, can I expect this every day, while staying here" Puck quipped before taking a big bite of his waffle.

"Just on the weekends, we survive on cereal and sandwiches during the week" Rachel replied, as she wiped maple syrup off Henry's face before taking him out of his high chair and sitting him on her lap.

"Are you going to talk to Quinn today" Finn asked, cautiously.

"I don't think I'm ready but she did say she was meeting you guys at the diner, if I wanted NJ for a bit. Do you think you could pick him up for me Finn, I'm not ready to see her?" Puck admitted. He knew he wasn't strong enough to have a proper conversation with Quinn yet because he knew he would say something he would later regret.

"Yeah sure man, I'm taking Rose and Henry to a puppet show in Central Park, why don't you and NJ come with, you can stay in the car while I get him" Finn suggested. Puck let out a heavy sigh before nodding.

"I think that would be for the best" Puck agreed, putting his now empty plate in the sink "I'm going to take a shower"

Finn watched Puck leave, then turned to Rachel who looked deep in thought "Hey you okay?"

Rachel nodded "Yeah I'm fine, just worried about them two" Rachel shrugged before going back to her breakfast. Truthfully Rachel was still thinking about what her and Puck talked about the night before. Rachel had no reason to doubt Quinn but now she was questioning everything.

"Okay Rosie, go put on the clothes your mom laid out for you" Finn told Rose. Rose jumped up from her seat and ran upstairs while Rachel mindlessly continued to eat her breakfast with Henry on her lap.

"You sure you're okay?" Finn pressed, when he noticed Rachel was still lost in thought.

Rachel nodded "Totally fine"

 **The Diner – Park Avenue – Sunday Afternoon**

"Quinn, you have to eat something" Mercedes stated pushing Quinn's salad towards her. Quinn just pushed it back and laid her head down on the table. The girls were at the diner having lunch together, well Rachel and Santana were having lunch and Mercedes was trying to get Quinn to eat something after Quinn had spent the whole night the day before drinking.

"What is the point of eating, my marriage is over" Quinn groaned, Rachel rolled her eyes at her dramatic friend before going back to her lasagne.

"Quinn your marriage isn't over, he just needs time to process everything. He's going to forgive you, Puck loves you" Mercedes enthused, stroking Quinn's back lovingly. She spent all night looking after Quinn and while she felt for her friend, she was ready to hand her off to Rachel or Santana.

"He hates me, and I'm not surprised I hate me too, I ruined everything"

"Are you still drunk" Santana quipped, giving Quinn a look of disbelief. Quinn looked up to glare at Santana before putting her head back on the table. Santana and Mercedes both turned to Rachel, giving her a look to stay something. Rachel rolled her eyes before lightly slapping Quinn on the arm.

"Get up Quinn, you're in public for good sake. Now you're going to eat your dinner like a big girl" Rachel stated pushing Quinn's plate towards her "Noah hasn't asked for a divorce. You want your husband then you need to think of a way to do that instead of wallowing. Pity doesn't suit you Quinn!"

Everyone waited for a few minutes as Quinn slowing lifted her head up off the table, picked up her fork and started to eat her salad. The others then went back to their own lunches, they all remained silent for a few minutes before the slight tension at the table got too much for Mercedes.

"So, what are we going to do Quinn, to help with Puck" Mercedes asked. She looked at Rachel who just shrugged in reply, Mercedes gave her a strange look but didn't comment on the fact Rachel didn't seem to want help their friend.

"I say you show up at his work, in your best underwear and nothing else, what man could resist that" Santana commented, before taking a bite of her burger.

"I think it's going to take more than that" Rachel whispered, although they all heard her.

"I think I just need to give him some space" Quinn reasoned "He'll see how sorry I am and that we should be together. He'll come around eventually"

"Or maybe he won't" Rachel cut in, looking straight at Quinn "This is going to take more than blind optimism and naivety. You want Noah back Quinn, you're going to have to actually fight for him"

Mercedes and Santana shared a worried look, thinking an argument was about to start between the two women but instead Rachel went back to lasagne and Quinn nodded at Rachel, picked up her fork and continued eating.

 **Rachel's Office – Broadway Star Offices – Sunday Afternoon**

Rachel had gone straight to her office after lunch with the girls, she had left some paperwork she had to look over before Monday and she'd forgotten them when she left on Friday. She was working in her office for half an hour before she noticed Finn walking into her office.

"Hey what are you doing here, I thought you were taking the kids to the puppet show" Rachel asked, looking up to face Finn as he took a seat across from her at the desk.

"I did take them, now uncle Puck is taking them to Chucky. E cheese and we're going to meet them there" Finn replied, smiling at Rachel when she groaned loudly at the thought of going to Chuck E Cheese. "But before we do that, you're going to tell me what was up with you this morning. And don't say your fine because you seemed different after you came back to bed last night"

Rachel shouldn't have been surprised that Finn had figured her out. She had never been able to hide anything from Finn. She didn't want to make a big deal about what Puck had said but it was all she had been thinking about.

"I had a talk with Puck last night, and he said something that freaked me out" Rachel admitted, glancing away from Finn's worrying gaze.

"What did he say to you" Finn asked, worried. Rachel, as best she could, explained her conversation with Puck the night before.

"I mean do you think he's right, that's she wants him to be like you, or that maybe she has feelings for you. I mean she did have a crush on you before" Rachel argued, running her hands through her hair.

"Yeah in high school, we've all grown up since then. Puck is hurt, and he's just trying to make sense of all this but I'm sure that once this all settles down, Puck will realise how stupid it is" Finn reasoned, he could tell Rachel wasn't convinced so he got up from his seat and pulled Rachel up from hers and gave her a tight hug.

"Quinn is our best friend and that's all. I'm sure there are time when Quinn wanted Puck to act differently and I'm sure there are times when Puck wished Quinn did as well but that doesn't mean they want to be me and you"

"Yeah maybe your right" Rachel sighed, wrapping her arms around Finn and pulling him closer to her. Rachel had always had an insecurity about Finn and Quinn being a better match than her and Finn - it had been heightened whenever they were with Carole and Burt and when they had been trying to have a baby, and it had been brought up again last night.

"You sure you're okay" Finn asked, moving Rachel hair so he could see her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine, you're right. Puck probably didn't mean what he said, he's just hurt, we lash out when we're hurt" Rachel reasoned. Finn nodded then gave her a sweet kiss.

"Okay now that's sorted, we have people waiting for us at Chuck E Cheese" Finn stated. He went to walk to the door but Rachel grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Or we could make out in my office" Rachel said, smiling suggestively. "I'm sure Puck could survive on his own"

"He does owe us" Finn reasoned moving closer to Rachel.

"Exactly! And he needs his time with NJ" Rachel added, inching further towards Finn.

"An excellent point wife" Finn concluded, before grabbing the top of Rachel jeans to pull her closer before leaning down to give her a searing kiss.

 **Quinn's Apartment – Upper West Side – Sunday Afternoon**

Rachel and Finn eventually picked up their children from chuck E Cheese and while Puck decided to go to the gym, Rachel took Henry and Rose home and Finn dropped NJ back off at Quinn's Apartment.

"Hey Finn, come in… hey sweetie did you have a good time with your dad" Quinn asked as she opened the door for Finn and NJ. Instead of answering NJ went straight to his room. Quinn let out a sad sigh before turning to Finn.

"He doesn't really know what's going on but he doesn't like not having Noah around" Quinn commented as he and Finn walked into the kitchen. Quinn passed Finn a bottle of water before getting herself some ice tea.

"Well NJ can come to ours any time to see him, and I know Henry and Rose will love having him there"

"Thanks Finn" Quinn smiled sadly.

"How you doing?" Finn asked after taking a drink of the water and putting it down on the table. Quinn shrugged slightly not sure how to answer. She figured it was clear from the empty bottles of wine on her kitchen counter and the fact she was in her pyjamas in the middle of the day, that she wasn't doing okay.

"Quinn, you're one of my oldest friends, and you mean so much to me, but right now I need to be there for Puck. He needs me more than you do. I'll be here for pick up and drop off for NJ but that's it. You have the girls, and Puck has me" Finn explained. He knew it might sound selfish but his main concern was Puck, Quinn had enough people around her, Puck only had Finn.

Quinn nodded "I understand Finn, although I don't think I have the girls"

"You do, remember Quinn, Mercedes and Santana have been there themselves, they know how this feels. You just need to start being honest about things Quinn"

"What do you mean" Quinn asked.

"There's a reason you and Puck having been fighting so much, there's a reason you went home with Toad that night. There's a reason for all of it and you need to start admitting that, or you and Puck are going to get nowhere" Finn reasoned, Quinn thought about what Finn said for a few moments before eventually nodding. Finn took another drink of the water then glanced at his watch.

"I better get going" Finn said, giving Quinn a small smile "Bye Quinn"

"Bye Finn"

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Sunday Afternoon**

After his talk with Quinn, Finn had gone straight home, he wanted to talk to Rachel about his conversations with Quinn but she was hanging out with Santana and he had been pushed upstairs to continue with the Nursery decorations. Puck had volunteered to help him finish the painting so Finn thought it would be a good opportunity to clear the air with Puck.

"So, I went to see Quinn earlier" Finn started, concentrating on painting the light blue walls instead of looking at Puck.

" _Okay_ "

"Puck, Rachel told me what you talked about last night"

"I thought she might" Puck sighed, he put down his paint brush and turned to face Finn. "I didn't mean to case any trouble between Rachel and Quinn"

"You didn't" Finn shook his head, not sure if his statement is true "Puck, do you really think Quinn compares you to me. I don't want that! I don't whatever is going on to affect our friendship"

"It won't. I was still angry when I spoke to Rachel last night. And yeah, a part of me still believes what I said but I don't blame you for that. I'm not going to throw away our friendship because you're a good husband and father. None of this is your fault and the fact that you think you have to fix this because you think it your fault shows just what a good guy you are" Puck said, before picking up the paint brush and continuing the painting.

Finn watched his friend closely, Finn knew it took a lot for Puck to talk about his emotions, which meant he believed everything he had said to Finn. "I didn't mean to make this about me Puck, I just didn't want there to be tension between us. I just wanted you to know that I'm on your side in all of this. Whatever you decide to do, I'll support"

"I know, Finn, I appreciate that" Puck replied, as he finished his patch on the wall "I'm not sure if I can forgive Quinn, even without the cheating, we had other issues that Quinn never wants to deal with because then everyone would know that we weren't prefect, that we weren't like you and Rachel"

"Well maybe it time you told her all this" Finn reasoned. Finn was a romantic at heart and he truly believed that everything that had happened could be worked out between Quinn and Puck if they really wanted to.

"I don't think it will help" Puck admitted. Finn slowly put down his paint brush then turned to Puck.

"Then make her listen! Puck if you really want to fix this, then you can! You just have to decide if it's worth it" Finn argued, he had no doubt that Puck and Quinn loved each other but he wasn't sure if that was enough to fix what had happened between them.

"Yeah, yeah, okay enough of all this feeling talk" Puck quipped, shaking his head "Let's get back to this painting before your wife yells at us"

 **Quinn's Apartment – Upper West Side – Monday Morning**

Rachel wasn't sure how it happened but instead of going to her office on Monday morning Rachel found herself at Quinn's apartment. She had tried to convince herself it was all in her head and that she was crazy to think Quinn had feelings for Finn, but Rachel decided she needed answers only Quinn could give her.

"Rachel? What are you doing here? I have to be at work in a minute" Quinn said as she opened the door for Rachel and lead her inside.

"This won't take long" Rachel stated, once they were in the living room "Do you have feelings for my husband"

Quinn gaped at Rachel for a few moments not sure what else, she had not been expecting Rachel to come to her apartment on a Monday morning and accuse her of something so ridiculous "Are you serious, are you actually asking me that"

"Answer the question!"

"Of course, I don't! why would you even ask me that?" Quinn argued, glaring at Rachel.

"Noah seems to think that you wish he was more like Finn, how you wish that you had my marriage and it got me thinking that maybe it's not my marriage that you want but my husband" Rachel ranted, running her hands through her hair. Both women were facing off against each other across the living room, in all their years of friendship they had never fought like that before.

"Rachel, I can't believe you would think this of me! Finn is one of my closest friends and so are you!"

"I mean it's not like your parents don't think you'd better married to Finn, my in-laws as well, maybe your starting to think it too – you always wanted a fairy-tale marriage and maybe now your realising you aren't going to get that from Noah, so you want It from Finn instead"

"Do you hear yourself Rachel, what your saying is crazy!"

"What it's not like you haven't had feelings for him before" Rachel snapped. Quinn gaped at her, rubbing her hands over her face.

"I can't believe you would throw that in my face! I was eighteen years old and you and Finn weren't even together, you know what…. I don't want to talk about it anymore" Quinn snipped, looking away from Rachel.

"Fine, I was leaving anyway!" Rachel snipped back, before walking out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

 **Hard Rock Café – Times Square – Monday Evening**

"So how come Rachel and Finn or Quinn couldn't join us" Brittany asked, glancing at the others before going back to her pasta dish. Brittany, Santana, Mercedes, and Sam were all having dinner together and Mercedes and Santana had thought it would be better not to invite the others when they heard about the fight between Quinn and Rachel.

"Maybe they didn't want to eat at the Hard Rock" Santana cringed as she watched a small child, whose face was covered in sauce, bang their plate loudly on the table next to them.

"Be quiet I think it nice!" Mercedes snipped, rolling her eyes at Santana "To answer your question Brittany, Rachel and Quinn got into a huge fight and aren't speaking"

"God! Can your group go a week without some kind of drama?" Sam quipped, shaking his head.

"Apparently not" Santana replied, before taking a long sip of her beer.

"Are they going to be okay" Brittany asked. Out of everyone Rachel and Quinn were the least likely to argue, they had been friends for too long and it was out of character for both of them.

"I sure they will be" Santana waved off "They both needed to get stuff off their chest and once the dust settles they will be fine. Finn, Rachel and Quinn have been friends for so long that they know how to push each other's buttons but they also wouldn't let something so silly ruin their friendship"

"Surprising insightful Santana" Mercedes teased, smirking at Santana, who playfully glared at her.

"You know I'm right" Santana said, holding up her drink "I say we propose a toast"

"To what exactly" Sam asked, as they all held up their drinks.

"To none of the drama being ours" Santana quipped, smirking at them. They all rolled their eyes but also agreed with the sentiment. For once neither couple had no drama and were all happy after such rocky starts.

"To no drama!" they all cheered before taking downing their beers.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Monday Evening**

Rachel was enjoying a glass of wine and some chocolate in a rare peaceful night in her house. Puck and Finn had gone for a drink after finally finishing the nursery and Rose and Henry were both happily playing in the playroom. Rachel was half way through a new episode of Scandal when there was a knock on the door. Rachel paused the TV then went to answer it, she was surprised and not at the same time to find Quinn at the other side.

"Hey Quinn, come in" Rachel said, she opened the door further and walked into the living room and took a seat on the sofa, refiling her wine glass. Quinn cautiously followed behind her and remained hoovering by the arch way leading to the kitchen.

"I wanted to clear the air" Quinn started, rubbing her hands together nervously "I will admit that there was some truth to what you said earlier… not in the way you think but I will admit that when things were hard with Noah that I wished he was more like Finn, I hold you guys up to this prefect marriage that mine has to replicate. But I see now how stupid that is, you and Finn have had your issues just like everyone else and I should know that better than anyone, I've been there from the beginning"

"Sit down Quinn" Rachel said, motioning to the seat on the sofa next to her. Quinn sat down and took a drink of Rachel's wine "I know it took a lot for you to finally admit that Quinn"

"I've been a coward" Quinn whispered, ashamed "I never wanted to admit that my marriage was in trouble and now I'm not sure it can be fixed and it's all my fault"

Rachel pulled a tissue from the box on the coffee table and handed one to Quinn when she noticed the tears in her eyes, before reaching for Quinn's hand "It can be fixed Quinn, you just need to talk to Noah, really talk to him about everything that has been going on"

"Do you think he wants to listen" Quinn wondered, timid.

"Of course, he does Quinn, you're a hard woman to forget. there just needs honest communication between the two of you, he might say things you don't like but you need to listen" Rachel argued. Quinn nodded, firmly, wiping the last of tears from her eyes.

"Does that mean you forgive me" Quinn asked, Rachel quickly waved her off.

"Of course, Quinn, it wasn't even really about you, it was my insecurity but that's over now and we can concentrate on helping you and Noah"

Quinn reached across and gave Rachel a tight hug "I love you Barbara"

"Love you too Barbie" Rachel replied, using the nicknames they had given each other in High School, as she pulled away from Quinn. She settled back on the sofa and continued watching Scandal for a few moments before she glanced over at Quinn.

"If your sticking around, you'll have to get your own glass and be quiet while I watch Olivia Pope do her thing" Rachel explained, before taking a sip of her wine.

 **XOXO**

Finn and Puck walked into the house to find Quinn and Rachel in the kitchen having a glass of wine. It was the first time that Puck and Quinn had seen each other since he told her he was moving out. Puck decided it was time that they finally had a talk that didn't lead to an argument.

Finn and Rachel shared a quick look "Why don't we give you two space to talk" Finn suggested. He and Rachel walked into the living room where they were away from Quinn and Puck but could still hear their conversation, although they hide behind the arch so that Quinn and Puck couldn't see them.

Puck walked into the kitchen a grabbed a bottle of beer, he took a long drink before finally turning to face Quinn. "I see you and Rachel have made up"

"We did" Quinn nodded lamely "Noah I want you to know how sorry I am for what I …"

"I know your sorry Quinn, that's not really the issue here" Puck stated, before taking a sip of beer "We both need to work out if we really want to be together"

"What Noah, of course we do! Quinn gasped.

"Do we Quinn? Because even before that night, we had issues, issues that you never want to talk about because heaven forbid that someone might see that your life isn't perfect" Puck argued, shaking his head.

Quinn wiped away a few stray tears before answering "That's not fair"

"No Quinn what's not fair is that I'm living at my best friend's house because instead of having a real conversation with me about our issues, you got drunk and almost slept with someone else" Puck snapped, slamming his beer bottle on the kitchen counter, making Quinn jump. Rachel and Finn looked round the arch way to make sure everything was okay before going back to the sofa.

"We need time apart Quinn, we need to both figure out if our marriage is worth it and if we even want to save it"

Quinn moved closer to Puck "Of course I want to save it, Noah"

Puck held up his hand to stop her moving closer "Really think about this Quinn, don't just say what you think you have to, really think about what it is that you want. We'll continue splitting our time between NJ and just go from there"

"And how long are we supposed to do this for" Quinn asked, throwing up her hands in defeat. Puck could see she was trying to hide her anger at Puck's suggestion.

"Until we can both figure out what we want" Puck shrugged, not able to give her a better answer. He knew Quinn worked better with plans and structure but he just couldn't give her a straight answer. "I don't think there is anything else to say"

Before Quinn could say anything else, Puck rushed up stairs without another word. Quinn let out a frustrated sigh, wiped her eyes then walked out the front door, neither noticed Finn and Rachel watching them.

 **XOXO**

"That was pretty intense" Finn noted as the two went to sit back on the sofa once they saw Quinn leave.

"I think Puck was right though, I think they both need this" Rachel reasoned, as she leaned her head on Finn's chest. Finn switched on the TV but neither of them were bothered to watch it, they'd both had a long day and were glad that it was finally winding down. "Although, it sounds like we're gonna have Noah for a bit longer"

"I seem to remember your friend was sleeping in our office for 3 weeks" Finn teased, tickling Rachel's side.

"Hey, I'm not complaining, he's already better a roommate than Mercedes was" Rachel quipped, remembering all too well, the scared look on her daughter's face when the guy Mercedes had brought back to the house, ended up in Rose's room.

"So, everything's okay with you and Quinn now" Finn mused, as he flicked through the movie channels trying to find something to watch.

"Yeah, we had a good talk, Quinn admitted that maybe sometimes she wished Puck was a little more like you but that in no way meant that she had feelings for you. She just wished her marriage was as easy as ours was. It took a lot for Quinn to finally admit that to me and now her and Noah might finally be able to work out their issues" Rachel acknowledged. It was a big step for Quinn to finally admit the issues that had been plaguing her marriage and Rachel now hoped that meant her and Puck would be able to move forward.

"I'm glad, I could tell Puck regretted saying it to you but maybe it needed to be said, now we can all move on and concentrate on helping Quinn and Puck" Finn mused, smiling down at Rachel. Rachel pushed up and gave him a quick but loving kiss.

"You really are the perfect husband" Rachel mused, giving him a loving smile. Finn laughed lightly before giving Rachel a kiss.

"I think that's already been well established"


	10. 4x10 - Glee and The Diner Dilemma

**4x10 - Glee and The Diner Dilemma**

* * *

 **The Diner – Park Avenue – Saturday Afternoon**

Two weeks after Puck and Quinn's conversation, the girls were at the diner having their weekly lunch date, where Rachel was showing them the newest ultrasound from Lydia's last scan. Finn and Rachel had gone to Long Beach (Where Lydia was staying with her parents) for the day, so they could be there the scan.

"God, he looks so big" Quinn gushed, she gazed at the sonogram picture for a few more seconds before passing it back to Rachel, who left it on the table to show Santana when she finally arrived.

"I know the doctor said he's already 5lbs and she has another month to go" Rachel replied, before taking a drink of her tea.

"You guys close to ready?" Mercedes asked. Lydia's pregnancy had come to surprise to all of them and she was already six months along by the time everything was sorted with the lawyers and social workers, which didn't leave Finn and Rachel much time to get everything ready for a new baby.

"Not really, we still have to tell Rose and Henry. We're not sure what the best way to tell them so that they will understand. I don't like them to be reminded that we are not their real parents" Rachel explained, somewhat sadly. Quinn reached over and squeezed her arm affectionately.

"You're not their birth parents Rachel but you are their real parents. There's a difference" Mercedes enthused, as she gave Rachel a pointed look.

"Mercedes is right; you'll figure out a way to tell them" Quinn encouraged.

"Hmmm" Rachel mused, before looking down at her watch "Where's Santana, she fifteen minutes late"

Before either girl could answer, Rachel's phone buzzed with a new text.

"Speak of the devil" Rachel quipped, looking at her phone to read a message "Don't be weird, I didn't know how to say no"

"What's she talking about?" Quinn wondered, Rachel just shrugged in response as she put her phone back in her bag.

"There she is" Mercedes nodded towards the door "With Brittany"

Santana and Brittany walked into the diner and over to their table. While Brittany beamed at them all, Santana seemed apprehensive

"Hey guys" Quinn greeted, glancing at Brittany "You dropping her off Britt"

"No Brittany is joining us for lunch" Santana said, slightly nervous, as she took a seat next to Quinn. The others tried not to gape as Brittany remained standing watching them all. In all their years coming to the diner, nobody's partners had ever joined them, not even Finn.

"That's okay right" Brittany asked, looking at them all in turn, while Santana looked anywhere but at her friends

"Of course, take a seat" Rachel encouraged, waving her hand at the end of the table. Quinn and Mercedes both nodded, not sure what else to say.

"See I told you they wouldn't mind Santana" Brittany smiled as she took a seat at the end of the table "So, how've you guys been?"

"Good" Quinn replied, nodding lamely. Quinn liked Brittany but she wasn't comfortable talking about her problems with Puck while Brittany was there.

"Good" Mercedes stated, also nodding. Santana gave them both a hard look before they all turned to Rachel waiting for her to answer and hopefully get rid of the tension at the table.

"Great" Rachel beamed, handing Brittany the sonogram picture "Lydia had another ultrasound"

"Aww look at that" Brittany gushed, showing the ultrasound to Santana "Isn't that cute Santana?"

"Precious" Santana quipped. Rachel rolled her eyes at her friend as she put the picture back in her bag. The girls all looked down at the menu when they realised they didn't know what else to say.

"How are you Quinn, how are things with Puck?" Brittany asked, after a few moments of silence. She hadn't noticed all awkward all the girls felt having her at the diner, or if she did she wasn't commented on it.

"Uhmmm, you know" Quinn shrugged. Brittany nodded in understanding, realising Quinn didn't want to talk about, before looking over at Mercedes.

"What about you Mercedes, anything new?" Brittany asked.

"Not really" Mercedes replied, smirking slightly "Which is a very good thing"

Thankfully for the table, Miss Grace came over to take their drinks order and they only had to suffer a few minutes of awkward conversation before she was back with their drinks.

"Here you go ladies, no beautiful babies today?" Miss Grace beamed as she put down their drinks, before taking out her notepad to take their order.

"No Santana said they could only come once a month" Quinn replied, giving Santana a look who just shrugged in reply. Santana loved her niece and nephews, but she could only tolerate so many meals listening to the newest adventures of Peppa Pig or Spiderman.

"I see we have a newbie" Miss Grace said, looking down at Brittany.

"Hi, I'm Brittany, Santana's wife" Brittany greeted, holding her hand out for Miss Grace to shake.

"Nice to meet you love" Miss Grace replied before quickly taking each of their orders and walking back into the kitchen. Quinn, Rachel, and Mercedes all turned to Santana with hard looks, it was her fault that they felt awkward in the diner.

"This place is nice; I see why you like coming here" Brittany commented, not noticing the silent conversation that was going on between the four friends. Santana glanced over at her wife with a small smile.

Brittany looked at them all confused "Do you guys usually just sit here in silence"

 **Toy R US – Times Square – Saturday Afternoon**

After a quiet and tense lunch with the girls, Rachel went to meet Finn and the kids at Toy R US. Rachel and Finn decided it was time to tell Henry and Rose about their new brother and Rachel decided that getting them both some new toys, might make the talk a little easier.

"We just sat there in silence for twenty minutes before we all made an excuse to leave" Rachel explained "I mean obviously we've been out with Brittany before, but the Diner is sacred, you can't just bring anyone there"

"Oh, I know you've told me many times before" Finn quipped as the continued to walk down the large Barbie section in Toy R Us with Rose skipping ahead in front and Henry dragging his feet next to Finn, the three-year-old was eager to find the Spiderman toys.

"I can't believe Santana brought her" Rachel sighed. She knew that she might have sounded childish, but the Diner was the one place they could go to, that hadn't fully been taken over by spouses, work, or children.

"Oh, come their newlyweds and trust me it's very hard to say no to your wife" Finn argued, glancing at Rachel to give her a loving smile.

"I hope so" Rachel smiled, before leaning across to give Finn a quick kiss before going back to Rose who was showing her mother the new Barbie convertible car.

"So why are we here again" Finn asked, as he picked Henry up and balanced him on his hip when the young boy asked for the third time when they were going to go on the Ferris Wheel at the front of the store.

"We are being bad parents by bribing our children before we tell them we are going to give them a baby brother" Rachel explained, glancing over at Rose to make sure their daughter couldn't hear them.

"They might be happy about it" Finn reasoned. Realistically Rachel was more concerned about how they were going to explain it to them than how they were going to react, Henry and Rose loved NJ and they had many friends at school and nursery so Rachel assumed they would be happy with a new sibling.

"You have a younger sibling so I know you know that's not true" Rachel stated, jokingly. The family eventually left the Barbie section and moved on to the Marvel section, so Henry could pick out some toys.

"Okay Henry which one?" Finn asked after a few minutes of looking over the Marvel action figures and toy cars.

"This one!" Henry cheered pointing his finger at the new Spiderman action figure that came with a matching mask. Finn picked up the large box then took Henry's hand as Rachel reached for Rose.

"Okay Rosie lets go to the build-a-bear section" Rachel said. Rose skipped along in front to her favourite part of the store. Finn and Henry waited by the entrance to the bear castle while Rachel took Rose inside but the young girl quickly noticed a poster for a Teddy Picnic at the store.

"Can we go to that mommy" Rose asked, pointing to the poster.

"Course Sweetie" Rachel beamed, Rose clapped her hands excited as Rachel looked over to Finn.

"You're really layering it on now" Finn whispered. Rachel gave him a pointed look then nodded her head towards inside the castle which Finn knew meant he had to follow.

"I need some new clothes for my Belle Doll Daddy" Rose explained, looking up at her father "I have the yellow dress but can I get the blue one now"

"Yeah come one let's see if we can find it" Finn replied, taking Rose's hand as Rachel and Henry followed. Rose started to look through the different clothes for the bears, with Henry's help while Rachel and Finn hung back and watched them.

"Do you think Brittany is going to want to come again, like on a regular basis" Rachel wondered.

"Go where"

"The diner!" Rachel snipped.

"Rachel, you're overreacting. She just wanted to spend time with her wife at a place she knows Santana likes" Finn argued, rolling his eyes. Rachel glared at him

"You're no help" Rachel grumbled, crossing her arms just as Rose ran back to her parents holding up the blue Belle dress.

"Daddy I found it!"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West village – Saturday Afternoon**

Once they had finished at Toys R Us, the family went home and Rachel let Henry and Rose play with their toys for an hour before calling them into the living room to talk. Both children were happy with their new toys so Rachel hoped the conversation would be easy for them.

"Okay you two over here we need to talk to you" Rachel said. She got Henry and Rose to sit on their sofa while herself and Finn sat across from them on the coffee table. Rachel glanced over at Finn, for him to start first.

"So, we wanted to tell you that in about a month you're going to have a new baby brother" Finn explained, carefully. While Rose immediately looked confused Henry pumped his fist in the air.

"We are! That's cool" Henry beamed.

"How?" Rose asked. Rachel and Finn shared a quick glance at each other before turning back to Rose, they had prepared themselves for her question.

"Well Rosie, you know the woman you lived with before" Rachel started, Rose nodded sadly "She's having a baby and that baby is going to live with us. He's going to be your baby brother and our son"

"But you have a son" Rose argued, waving her hand at Henry, who was distracted by the toy in his hand and no longer listening to the conversation.

"And we are going to have another one" Finn said, helplessly, not sure what else to say. Rose crossed her arms and pouted at her parents.

"Why?"

"Aren't you excited to have another brother Rosie" Rachel asked, with a large smile, trying to show this was supposed to be a happy occasion.

Rose shook her head "No"

"Henry what about you" Finn asked looking over at Henry. Henry looked up from his toy to smile at his father.

"Yeah!" Henry cheered. Rose glared at her brother, for not being on her side before turning back to her parents.

"I don't like it! And I'm not sharing my toys" Rose shouted before jumping off the sofa and running out of the room.

"Rose!" Rachel called, getting up from the coffee table to go after Rose.

"Rose, get back here" Finn shouted, just as they heard a door upstairs slam shut.

Rachel and Finn shared a worried look "That could have gone better"

 **XoXo**

After Rose had stormed up to her room, Rachel put a movie on for Henry then moved onto the sofa, while Henry sat in front of the Tv, to talk to Finn about Rose. Rachel had thought Henry and Rose might be confused about what was happening, but Rachel hadn't expected anger.

"Well she didn't take that well" Rachel mused, as she leaned back on the sofa and cuddled into Finn's side. They had both tried to get Rose to talk to them but after five minutes of Rose's ignoring them, they decided to leave her alone for a bit.

"She has a month to get used to it" Finn argued, stroking Rachel's arm "She will get used to it Rachel. She going to have another sibling to boss around. She'll love it"

"Well I certainly did" Rachel quipped, smiling at Finn just as their front door opened. A few seconds later, Santana was walking into their living room and throwing herself down on the loveseat.

"Hey guys" Santana greeted as Henry jumped onto her lap to give his auntie a hug and show her his new toy.

"Hey Sans, what are you doing here?" Rachel asked.

"I came to explain about earlier" Santana replied, settling Henry on her lap before looking over at Rachel and Finn.

"Oh, you mean when Brittany crossed enemy territory" Finn teased, smirking at Santana "You know I don't even know where the diner is"

"You're funny" Santana grumbled, glaring at Finn before turning to Rachel "This morning Brittany asked if I wanted to have lunch out and when I told her I was meeting you guys she just jumped on that. I couldn't exactly say no without a good enough reason"

"Spouses aren't allowed at the diner, that's a good enough reason" Rachel argued, giving Santana a pointed look, Finn playfully nipped her arm in a warning to be more understanding.

"Brittany has always thought I kept you guys separate for some reason and now that we're married I thought I should make more of an effect to include her and not just when the guys are there" Santana acknowledged

"That's very mature Santana" Finn replied, smiling proudly at Santana. He was happy to see that Santana was finally seeing Brittany's side of things when it came to her friends.

"Well now I can't say anything about it can I" Rachel groaned, throwing up her hands.

"It won't be all the time and I'll make sure she knows anything you guys say won't be repeated to the guys" Santana reasoned, her pleading with Rachel to understand. She figured if Rachel was on board, Quinn and Mercedes would be too.

Rachel nodded "Okay"

"Just how much do you bitch about me at these lunches" Finn asked, looking over at Rachel disgruntled, Rachel just shrugged in reply with a smirk on her face.

 **Santana and Brittany's Apartment – Upper West Side – Saturday Afternoon**

After having a cup of coffee with Finn and Rachel, Santana went back to the apartment she shared with Brittany to talk to her wife about lunch at the diner. Santana wanted to make Brittany knew she was the most important person to Santana but she also needed her to understand the importance of the Diner.

"Hey, where you been?" Brittany asked as Santana walked into the living room and took a seat next to Brittany on the sofa.

"Just at Finn and Rachel's" Santana replied, before taking a drink of Brittany's coffee. Brittany muted the television then turned to face Santana.

"Is everything okay, the girls seemed a little quiet at lunch earlier" Brittany noted, giving Santana a pressing look. Santana let out a slight sigh before answering.

"Yeah, they're fine, just not used to another person being at our lunches" Santana replied, carefully. Brittany nodded with a knowing smirk.

"I figured it was probably something like that" Brittany laughed, humourlessly.

"It just that we kind of use those lunches to bitch about our spouses and boyfriends, not that I have anything to bitch about but it just that…" Santana explained, then she noticed the look on Brittany's face "I'm not explaining this well"

"No, I get it, even though I'm a woman I'm still the spouse of the friend and not the actually friend" Brittany shrugged, leaning back on the sofa trying to concentrate on the television.

"No of course they are your friends, there are just some things we tell each other that we don't tell Puck or Sam or even Finn" Santana argued, with pleading eyes. Brittany looked away from her and Santana knew that meant she was upset.

"Okay then" Brittany nodded before getting up from the sofa and walking out of the room.

Santana sighed "That could have gone better"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Saturday Evening**

Finn decided an hour was a long enough time for Rose to sulk in her room, so Finn went looking for her. He found her laying on her bed, with her arms crossed looking up at the ceiling.

"Hey Rose, what you doing in here?" Finn asked, walking further into Rose's bedroom.

"Nothing" Rose grumbled, not bothering to look away from the celling to answer her father.

"Okay well come down for something to eat Auntie Sans will be here soon, she going to watch you for a bit while Mommy and I go out" Finn explained, he waited by the door for Rose to finally get off her bed and walk over to him.

"Can we have a tea party later" Rose asked as the two walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"I'll have to see what time we get back Sweetie" Finn replied as he helped Rose onto her stool at the breakfast bar, not noticing the disheartened look on Rose's face at his answer.

"Here you go Rosie, it's your favourite" Rachel beamed, handing Rose a plate of Mac and Cheese before taking a seat next to her with her own meal.

"I'm not hungry" Rose whispered as she crossed her arms, looking away from her parents. Rachel and Finn shared a quick look over Henry and Rose's head. Rose had always been a happy child and was hardly ever naughty, so Rachel and Finn weren't used to it and didn't know what to do.

"You sure about that" Rachel encouraged, pushing the plate towards Rose "It's really tasty"

"IM NOT HUNGRY" Rose shouted, glaring at Rachel before looking down at her lap.

"Uh oh!" Henry gasped, looking between his parents who were sharing a look of worry and shock. He went back to his dinner as Rachel and Finn looked over at Rose.

"Rose go to your room" Finn said firmly, pointing to the stairs "Actually all your toys are in your room, go to mom and dad's room and wait there for me and mommy"

Without another word, Rose jumped off the stool and walked upstairs, Rachel watched her walk up the stairs, sadly. She hated that Rose was hurting and that she didn't know how to help her.

"Can I have that?" Henry asked, looking over at Rose's plate. Without waiting for a reply Henry took Rose's plate and started eating her Mac and Cheese, while Rachel looked over at Finn, desperately.

"What are we going to do, we can't have this for another month" Rachel argued.

"We just have to keep talking to her until she gets used to it" Finn shrugged "I'll go talk to her"

Finn went upstairs to talk to Rose and Rachel and Henry continued to eat their dinner for another five minutes before the heard Santana walk through the front door and into the kitchen.

"Hey Auntie Sans" Henry greeted through a mouth full of Mac and Cheese. Santana smiled at him as she took a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"Hey buddy" Santana replied, before noticing the tense look on Rachel's face "Everything okay?"

"Rose has been acting out since we told her about the baby" Rachel replied, sadly. She quickly told Santana about Rose's outbursts but she noticed that Santana also tense about something.

"Not good" Santana mused, distracted. Brittany had barley spoken to Santana all afternoon, she claimed she wasn't bothered but what Santana had said but Santana knew different.

"Everything okay with you?" Rachel asked.

"I tried to explain stuff to Brittany earlier about the lunches and it didn't go well"

"Not good" Rachel quipped. She picked up hers and Henry's plate and put them in the dishwasher, while Santana took a seat next to Henry. The three-year-old climbed into her lap and Santana handed him her phone to play with.

"Hey Santana" Finn greeted, walking into the kitchen "I've told Rose no TV or toys for the rest of the night and she has to come down in a few minutes to eat her dinner"

"You sure we should be going out" Rachel wondered. Santana was babysitting for them because Finn and Rachel were supposed to be having drinks with the Principal of Dalton and her wife, but Rachel wasn't sure they should go out when Rose was so upset.

"Rachel, I think I can handle Rose, you should go out and have a good time. You're gonna have three kids in a month you should have the nights out while you still can" Santana argued, giving Rachel a pointed look.

"Santana's right Rachel" Finn added, walking over to Rachel, and stroking her arm.

"Okay" Rachel nodded, before turning to Santana "No toys or TV no matter how cute she gets"

"I promise" Santana replied, with a mock salute. Rachel rolled her eyes but then started getting her bag and coat, ready to leave.

"Rosie come down for your dinner" Finn called, from the bottom of the stairs. Rose slowly came down stairs, without a word to anyone and began to eat her dinner.

"Okay Henry give Mommy a kiss" Rachel gushed, giving Henry a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Bye Mommy, Bye Daddy"

"Bye Rosie" Rachel said, looking at her daughter. Rose didn't bother looking up from her food as she replied.

"Bye" Rose whispered. Rachel gave Finn a desperate look but he just shrugged, not sure what to say.

"Go! I got this" Santana promised, nodding her head towards the door. With one finally look at Rose, Rachel followed Finn out of the door.

 **XoXo**

An hour later, Santana had played with Henry and his Marvel toys before Henry decided he wanted to watch TV so Santana put on a movie for him and went in search of Rose, who had been unusually quiet since her parents had left, so Santana decided to see if Rose would tell her favourite Auntie what was bothering her.

"I know your mommy and daddy said no TV Rose but you can come sit with me" Santana said as she took a seat next to Rose on the lounge chairs.

"I don't want to" Rose grumbled, looking away from her aunt. Santana put her hand gently on Rose's chin and turned her head so she was facing Santana.

"Rosie remember when I said that you could always ask me anything and I would always tell you the truth and wouldn't tell your mommy and daddy" Santana said, giving Rose a pressing look. "Why don't you do that now"

"Are my mommy and daddy still going to love me when the new baby comes" Rose asked, sadly. Santana leaned across and pulled Rose's chair closely to her.

"Oh Rosie of course they are" Santana enthused, taking Rose's hand in hers.

"Why are they having a new baby aren't me and Henry enough" Rose wondered. Santana lifted Rose's up and put her in her lap and started stroking Rose's curls.

"You and Henry are more than enough" Santana argued, turning Rose so she was looking at her "Your parents are such good people that they want to give a good home to as many babies as they can" Rose nodded but Santana could see that Rose still didn't understand.

"But let me tell you something, your mommy and daddy could have 1000 babies and they would still love you and have time for you. You can trust me on that"

Santana gave Rose a tight hug "And trust me, you're going to love having another younger brother to boss around, You're the oldest that means you always get to be in charge"

"Really?" Rose wondered, giving Santana a questioning look.

"Of course, that's how it always is, the oldest is always in charge" Santana replied, seriously.

"That sounds good" Rose acknowledged, with a nod and a smile.

"I know your daddy said no TV but if you promise not to tell then we can watch Frozen" Santana said. Rose jumped off Santana's lap and started to run to the living room before she noticed Santana wasn't following her.

Rose waved her hand at Santana "Come on then!"

 **XoXo**

A few hours later, Rachel and Finn arrived home to find Santana lounging on their sofa with a beer, with both children asleep on the love seat, cuddled together. While Finn checked on the kids, Rachel took a seat next to Santana.

"Hey, how was everything?" Rachel asked.

"Totally fine" Santana smiled at the pair "I spoke to Rose as well and I think she's going to be okay"

"What did she say?" Finn asked, as he watched his children sleeping. He moved them into a more comfortable position then turned back to Santana and Rachel.

"I promised her I wouldn't tell but I think she's over not wanting another little brother" Santana replied, Rachel reached across and gave her a quick hug as Finn sat down next to them on the sofa.

"Thank you" Rachel beamed "Girls night tomorrow? Finn's going out with Puck but we could have it here"

"Definitely" Santana nodded, fishing out her phone to check the time "Should probably get home to my wife"

"You guys gonna be okay" Finn asked, as the married pair watched Santana put on her coat and shoes, ready to leave. On the way home Rachel had decided she wanted to make things right with Santana and Brittany, especially because it was partially her fault, she realised now she should have made more of an effort with Brittany at the Diner.

"Yeah, we'll be fine" Santana waved off, as she walked out of the living room "Bye Finchel"

 **XoXo**

Rose walked into her parents' bedroom to see that they were both asleep. With just the light from the hallway lighting her way, she walked over to Finn's side and began to shake him awake. Rose had tried to sleep but she wanted to tell her parents something before she did.

"Daddy wake up" Rose said, shaking her father's arm to wake him up.

"Rosie, what time is it?" Finn groaned, as he slowly woke up "What are you doing up?"

"Can I get in to bed with you" Rose asked. Finn sat up and turned on the bedside light and shuck Rachel awake before reaching his arms out for Rose.

"Come up Sweetie" Finn said before lifting Rose onto the bed. He put her in the middle of the bed then Rose got herself under the covers.

"Everything okay" Rachel asked, once Rose was settled on the bed. Rose looked up at both her parents then down at her hands.

"I'm okay with having a new brother now" Rose replied.

"You are" Rachel beamed. She wrapped her arms around Rose and gave Rose a tight squeeze and kiss on the head. Finn then wrapped them both in hug.

"Yeah Auntie Sans said that you will still love me and have time for me and that I can boss him around" Rose explained.

"We will always have time for you Rosie" Finn encouraged, moving Rose's curls to give her a kiss on the head.

"And bossing them around is the best thing about having a younger sibling" Rachel argued, with a smile.

"Not that we should encourage that" Finn reasoned, with a smile as he looked over at Rachel who playfully rolled her eyes.

"Of course, not" Rachel laughed, before pulling Rose in for another hug.

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Sunday Evening**

The next night, Santana was walking into Rachel and Finn's house with two bottles of wine, to see all her friends already there, including her wife. Santana walked into the living room and put the wine down on the coffee table, not taking her eyes off Brittany.

"Hey Brittany, I thought you had gone out with your friends" Santana said, confused. She took a seat next to Brittany on the sofa as Rachel handed her a glass of wine.

"I have" Brittany smirked, winking at Mercedes, who was laughing at the confused expression on Santana's face.

"This is our way to apologise to Brittany for yesterday" Rachel explained "We should include her more and stop treating her like one of the guys"

"And I've promised I won't go to anymore lunches, you guys need that time to bitch and I shouldn't take that away from you" Brittany added

"I promise that I have nothing to bitch about" Santana promised, giving Brittany a quick kiss while Quinn drank her wine, Rachel cut up the different cheeses and chocolate and Mercedes put on some music.

"You've only been married a few months give it time" Quinn quipped, taking a sip of her wine "As long as neither of you kiss anyone else though, I'm sure you'll be fine"

"She's already had two glasses" Rachel told Santana, when she noticed her looking at Quinn.

"Have you talked to Puck at all this week" Mercedes asked as she took a seat next to Rachel on the floor after putting on the best of 90's playlist from Rachel's iPad.

"Not a word and it's been almost two weeks since we last spoke" Quinn sighed heavily.

"He would be crazy to let you go Quinn, even after what you did" Santana argued, squeezing Quinn's hand as the others nodded in agreement. They knew what Quinn had done was wrong but they also knew that didn't mean Puck didn't still love her.

"Thank you, enough of the soppy talk though, let's get drunk" Quinn cheered as she started to pour them all another glass of wine.

"Something I never thought I'd hear Quinn say" Rachel laughed as they all clicked their glasses together in a cheer.

 **McClary's Irish Bar – West Village – Sunday Evening**

At the same time, Finn and Puck had gone to the Irish bar around the corner to get out of the house while the girls were all there. Even if Puck hadn't been keeping his distance from Quinn, neither of the men would want to be there when the girls got onto their second bottle of wine.

"So, kicked out of your home for the night" Puck mused, with a smirk before taking a drink of his beer.

"Yeah, the girls had to make it up to Brittany or something" Finn waved off. The two continued to watch the TV above the bar for a while before Finn finished off his beer then turned to Puck.

"So, you made a decision yet" Finn asked.

"I thought you weren't going to ask me about it" Puck replied, with a small sigh.

"I wasn't but Quinn was on her second class of wine when I left, she's going insane waiting for your decision so put her out of her misery at least" Finn reasoned. He had told Quinn he was on Puck's side through it all but that didn't mean he was immune to the fact that she was hurt as well and he didn't want that for her.

"I know" Puck nodded, picking up his beer bottle "Don't worry I've made a decision"


	11. 4x11 - Glee and The Fighting

**4x11 – Glee and The Fighting**

* * *

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Monday Morning**

Finn walked into the kitchen on Monday morning to find his children eating their breakfast at the breakfast bar while his wife was sat next to them with her head in her arms trying to go back to sleep while blocking out the harsh light. Rachel had had a long night of drinking with her friends as they tried to make things right with Brittany and cheer Quinn up.

"You ready to go Sweetie?" Finn asked, looking down at Rose, who nodded her head eagerly. Finn give her a kiss on the head then moved over to Rachel putting his hand on her shoulder.

"You okay there, babe" Finn asked, smirking slightly.

"Just feeling a bit rough that's all" Rachel groaned, leaning her head onto her hand "Once I throw up again I'll be fine"

"You sick mommy" Rose asked once she finished her cereal. She looked her mother up and down as Rachel slowly lifted her head to look at her daughter.

"Mommy had too much grown up juice last night" Rachel replied, smiling reassuringly at her daughter. Rose, satisfied with the answer, turned to her brother to tell him to hurry up with his breakfast so they could leave.

"Good night then" Finn stated as he wrapped her arm around Rachel, she nodded slightly as she leaned her head on his chest.

"Quinn wanted to drink a lot so that's what we ended up doing. She's going crazy waiting for Puck" Rachel explained.

"Well he told me last night that he's made a decision so she won't have long to wait" Finn said as she stroked Rachel's hair.

"You don't think he would actually ask for a divorce do you" Rachel wondered, glancing up to look Finn in the eyes. Rachel didn't have a clue what was going on with Puck, despite him living with them but she hoped he didn't really plan to end his marriage.

"I have no idea, the cheating was the last straw but they had other problems before that, problems I'm not sure they can fix" Finn reasoned.

"But Noah wouldn't actually throw everything away would he" Rachel pressed, rubbing her hand across her face as the urge to go back to sleep grew.

"I really have no idea what he's thinking" Finn shrugged before turning to Rose "Okay sweetie, go get your coat, get Henry's as well"

Rose jumped off her chair and ran upstairs to get her stuff, while Finn collected everyone's bags and moved them to front door. Rose ran back down stairs and handed Finn Henry's coat then started putting on her own.

"So, I'll meet you at your office, I have a meeting so I'll be there for about 6" Finn stated as he helped Henry with his coat before helping him down from the stool.

"That's fine" Rachel yawned, stretching her arms above her head.

"Don't worry you'll be able to nap at work, now up" Finn quipped, pulling Rachel from the stool before handing her, her coat.

"Here we go buddy" Finn cheered handing Henry his backpack. He ushered everyone outside then shut the door behind him.

"Come on Mommy, time for school" Rose exclaimed as she skipped down the stairs, rushing to get to the car.

"Sweetie, inside voice" Rachel whispered, as she shoved her sunglasses on to block out the harsh sunlight.

"Rachel, we're outside" Finn smirked as the family walked over to their car. Rose skipping ahead, while Rachel lagged behind.

 **Trinity Academy Pre School – Central Park, Manhattan** **– Monday Afternoon**

After a tiring day of trying to look like she was working, while getting over her hangover, Rachel had left work to pick Henry and Rose up from school before going back to the office to do some actual work. Rachel was waiting with Rose by Henry's classroom door when Henry's teacher rushed over to her. Rachel put away her phone and looked up at the teacher.

"Mrs Hudson, hi I'm Miss Holly, Henry's pre-school teacher" Miss Holly introduced herself, holding out her hand for Rachel to shake. Rachel shook her hand then looked behind her for Henry.

"Hi, is everything okay" Rachel asked.

"Actually, there was an incident with Henry today. We need to talk inside" Miss Holly replied, she motioned with her hand to follow her. Rachel took Rose's hand then followed after Henry's teacher.

"Is Henry okay" Rachel asked, concerned. She remembered the last time that something had happened at Trinity and the teachers had none nothing about it.

"Henry is fine, however he had a fight with another student today in the playground" Miss Holly answered once they reached the classroom. Rachel gaped at her, that was the last thing Rachel had expected Miss Holly to say.

"Who was it?" Rachel asked, just as she walked into the classroom to see Quinn there "Quinn, why are you here?"

"NJ was fighting with someone in the playground today" Quinn exclaimed, throwing her hands up in disbelief. Rachel looked at Quinn then back at Miss Holly.

"Wait, NJ and Henry were fighting, that's impossible" Rachel argued. Quinn's eyes went wide at Rachel's statement before straightening up and turning to Miss Holly.

"Yeah NJ and Henry are practically cousins" Quinn added, crossing her arms to glare at the teacher. Miss Holly had, however, been told what Rachel and Quinn were like and was ready for them

"I'm sorry but they were fighting, neither of them will tell us what the fight was about" Miss Holly stated, crossing her arms, giving them both a stern expression "We don't have punishments in pre-school but neither of them will have playground time for a week"

"I don't understand are you sure it was NJ and Henry" Quinn pressed.

"Very sure" Miss Holly nodded.

"Did anyone actually see this fight" Rachel asked, as she held on to Rose's hand and pulled her towards her when she saw the young girl try to leave.

"Yes, everyone in the playground and the lunch time monitors" Miss Holly replied, giving them both a testing look. She dealt with enough mothers and fathers who couldn't deal with it when their children misbehaved.

"Do you have a security camera" Quinn added.

"That will be all, thank you Mrs Hudson, Mrs Puckerman" Miss Holly stated, firmly., not before telling the mothers that they children would be there in a minute, as they were both in the library waiting for their mothers to be told about what they had done.

"You okay" Rachel asked, glancing over at Quinn.

"Fine, this is all nonsense I'm sure that NJ and Henry can explain this. NJ doesn't go around starting fights, he's not like that" Quinn argued, pacing the small area as she ran her hands through her hair.

"Neither is Henry" Rachel added just as the boys walked into the classroom with the teacher's assistant. "Hey boys" Rachel said as Henry sheepishly walked over to her.

"Oh NJ, look at your face, what did Henry do to you" Quinn gasped, kneeling down to her son to see her had a bruise on his face.

"He punched me momma" NJ cried, rushing into his mother's arms. Quinn picked him up before turning to Rachel, who was looking down at her own son, who had his head down not looking at anyone.

"Henry why would you do that" Rachel asked. Rose nudged her brother to answer and eventually Henry looked up at his mother with sad eyes.

"It wasn't like Mommy" Henry sighed.

"Let's talk about this at home" Rachel snipped before reaching down to pick up her son. Even if he had hit NJ, Rachel could see something else was going on with her son.

"See I told you NJ wasn't one to start fights" Quinn said, determinedly.

"How do you know that Henry started this fight" Rachel said, angrily, as she reached for Rose's hand while balancing Henry on her hip.

"My son is the one with the bruise on his face" Quinn snapped, waving her free hand at NJ's face where it was cuddled against her shoulder.

"My son doesn't punch people for no reason"

"Are you saying NJ deserved to be punched" Quinn exclaimed, glaring at Rachel. Rachel rolled her eyes at Quinn.

"Of course, not, I'm just saying there has to be more to this than we realise" Rachel acknowledged. She knew, even at three years old, that NJ and Henry loved each other and there had to be more to it than Henry deciding to hit NJ.

"There isn't, Henry punched NJ and he should apologise for that" Quinn shrilled, glaring at Rachel so hard that it made Rose hide behind her mother's leg and Henry tuck his head into Rachel's neck.

"What is with you Quinn, this was obviously some misunderstanding" Rachel sighed.

"Of course, it was because if this is your son's fault it's a misunderstanding but if it was my son's fault then there's a problem" Quinn argued, as she marched out of the classroom. Rachel grabbed Rose's hand and followed after her.

"Quinn, what the hell is going on. I never said that" Rachel pressed.

"I should get NJ home" Quinn sighed, glancing back at Rachel before walking towards her car. Rachel stopped walking and watched Quinn, not sure where Quinn's behaviour was coming from.

"Quinn, we have to talk" Rachel called to Quinn's retreating body.

"No, we don't" Quinn called back, not bothering to turn around as she walked away from Rachel.

 **Rachel's Office – Broadway Star Offices – Monday Afternoon**

Finn walked into Rachel's office that same evening to see Rachel working at her desk, looking very frustrated while Henry sulked on the sofa and Rose coloured at the table. Finn could immediately see that something was bothering his wife and he had a feeling it had to do with his son.

"Hey guys" Finn cheered, walking over to Rose to see what she was drawing. Rose stopped what she was doing and looked up at her father.

"Hey Daddy!" Rose beamed. Finn leaned down and kissed the top of rose's head before glancing at Rachel as she let out a long sigh.

"Is Mommy okay?" Finn asked Rose. Rose shook her head as she looked at Henry.

"Henry got in trouble at school today" Rose replied. Finn narrowed his eyes as he looked at Henry before walking over to Rachel, taking a sear across form her.

"What happened?" Finn asked. Rachel quickly launched into the story of what had happened with NJ and Henry as well as Quinn's reaction to it. Even over two hours later Rachel couldn't understand why Quinn was so upset by the whole thing.

"That doesn't sound like Quinn at all, what do you think got into her" Finn wondered, looking over at Henry. Henry looked upset and while it might have seemed biased Finn knew his son didn't go around hitting people for no reason, not that Finn thought there was ever a reason for three-year olds to be fighting.

"I have no idea, she wasn't herself" Rachel sighed, throwing herself back on her chair.

"Have you asked Henry what the fight was about" Finn asked.

"He won't tell me, maybe you can try later when we get home" Rachel replied. She had tried talking to Henry for half an hour but he wouldn't budge, he refused to tell Rachel why he and NJ had been fighting, all he would say was that NJ deserved it, which didn't sit right with Rachel.

"I will do, think Puck knows what happened" Finn wondered, looking between his two children before looking back at his very tired wife.

Rachel shrugged "I have no idea, maybe you should call him later"

"Wanna get out of here" Finn asked noticing Rachel seemed very frustrated and tired. Rachel nodded eagerly, quickly closing her laptop.

"Absolutely"

 **Quinn's Apartment – Upper East Side – Monday Evening**

"I mean she just assumes that this is NJ fault, when it was her son who did the actually fighting" Quinn ranted as she paced her living room. As soon as she had gotten home with NJ, she had called Mercedes and demanded she come over so Quinn could rant to her about what had happened between NJ and Henry.

"Did you ask NJ what happened?" Mercedes asked, looking up at Quinn from her place on the sofa. Quinn stopped pacing and turned to Mercedes.

"I don't need to, he's the one with the bruise on his face" Quinn snipped, putting her hands on her hips, staring Mercedes down.

"NJ and Henry are like cousins, Henry wouldn't punch NJ for no reason" Mercedes reasoned, trying not to roll her eyes as Quinn ran her hands through her hair.

"Whose side are you on" Quinn snapped, narrowing her eyes. Mercedes did her best not to roll her own.

"I'm not on anyone's side, they're kids Quinn. Kids are sometimes stupid, Henry is three he doesn't know what he's doing" Mercedes argued.

"You know I want to be left alone" Quinn sighed, throwing up her hands as she looked away from Mercedes.

"Quinn is something going on with you" Mercedes asked. She thought that Quinn was acting very harsh for a slight disagreement between two children. Quinn wiped a few stray tears before looking back at Mercedes.

"Yeah, I'm wondering why none of you seemed bothered that Henry punched my son" Quinn stated, firmly. Mercedes gaped at her, not sure what to say to Quinn when she was acting this way.

"Quinn!"

"Can you please leave" Quinn sighed before walking out of the room.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Monday Evening**

After being kicked out of Quinn's apartment, Mercedes went over to Rachel's (calling Santana on the way) so they could get to the bottom of why Quinn was acting so strange. Mercedes knew it had to do with more than NJ and Henry having an argument.

"I mean she just kicked me of there because I wouldn't agree with her that Henry is come kind of devil child because of what happened" Mercedes exclaimed as she rubbed her temple, she was frustrated with her conversation with Quinn and that she didn't know what it was really about.

"I don't understand it, we should have been able to laugh this off its just too kids rough housing in the playground and it went too far" Rachel argued. She had decided to punish Henry, because regardless of the reason why, she knew that Henry shouldn't have hit NJ but that didn't mean that Quinn's behaviour still wasn't strange.

"Rough housing" Santana quipped, smirking at Rachel before taking a sip of her wine.

"You get my point" Rachel sighed, waving her hand as she threw herself down on the sofa next to Mercedes.

"Has Henry said anything about what happened" Mercedes asked

"He won't say anything, we told him he had to sit on the chairs in the hall until he told us but so far he's not broken" Rachel replied, frustrated. Finn had also tried to talk to Henry but had given up when he realised Henry wasn't going to say anything, Rachel had been half tempted to ask Rose to talk to him as well.

"Kids tough" Mercedes smirked.

"He'd have to be, he punched NJ" Santana quipped. She had found the whole thing funny, and it didn't seem like a big deal to her that two three years old had probably been play fighting and didn't realise their own strength.

"Santana this isn't funny" Rachel snipped, turning to giving Santana a pointed look.

"I know it isn't but what can we do if Quinn won't tell us what's wrong" Santana reasoned, shrugging slightly. Before Rachel could say anything else, Finn walked into the room and Rachel quickly noticed the look of disbelief on his face.

"Everything okay Finn" Rachel asked.

"I just spoke to Puck about NJ and Henry. I think you should go see Quinn" Finn stated, glancing at Rachel, she gave him a look trying to read what was up with him.

"Why what's going on" Santana pressed, putting down her wine glass as Finn let out a long sigh.

"Puck told Quinn, he thinks they should get divorced" Finn replied, sadly.

"What!" Rachel gaped, quickly looking over at Mercedes and Santana, they were just as shocked as she was "We should get over there"

 **Quinn's Apartment – Upper East Side – Monday Evening**

"Quinn!" Rachel shouted, as she pounded on the door. The girls had gone straight over to Quinn's apartment to talk to her. Rachel and Mercedes both felt awful that Quinn hadn't told them what was going on and they couldn't see how hurt she was.

"Guys what are you doing here?" Quinn sighed, as she opened the door for her friends. The others rushed inside and Quinn closed the door behind them before following them into the living room.

"Finn talked to Puck" Rachel stated.

"So, you know my marriage is over" Quinn exclaimed, dramatically before throwing herself on the sofa. Rachel noticed two bottles of wine on the coffee table and she prayed Quinn knew better than to be drinking in front of NJ.

"What did Puck say exactly" Mercedes asked, as Rachel started tidying up the wine bottles.

"That he couldn't look past what I'd done and that even without that night, we still had a lot of problems, problems he didn't think we could overcome" Quinn replied, drinking the last of her wine before Rachel could take it from her.

"What a tool" Santana snapped, shaking her head.

"Maybe he's right, even before the cheating we were arguing so much, about everything. We haven't worked from the start and just because we got drunk and had a baby together doesn't mean we should be together" Quinn reasoned, shrugging before she finished off her drink.

"We're here for you Quinn, whatever you need" Mercedes soothed, wrapping her arm around Quinn and pulling her in for a hug.

"Quinn that's a load of crap" Rachel affirmed, as she dropped the bottles onto the table and walked over to Quinn.

"Rachel!" Mercedes exclaimed, giving Rachel a look of disbelief. Santana leaned back in the chair and watched the screen unfold.

"Puck has been more than just a one-night stand for years, you don't give up so easily because your marriage isn't like mine, everyone is different. The only reason Puck said he felt like he didn't deserve you is because you make him feel that way" Rachel ranted, throwing her hands up.

"Okay Rachel, that's enough" Mercedes cut in, sharply. She gave Rachel a pointed look as Quinn jumped up from the sofa and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I tell you my marriage is over and this is what you say to me" Quinn shouted, glaring at Rachel, who stared Quinn down. Rachel wasn't sure where her anger was coming from but she knew it needed to be said.

"Your marriage is only over if you want it to be, don't just give up because you think Puck has" Rachel argued. Mercedes gave Santana a look to get involved, but Santana just shrugged in reply.

"Rachel, I don't need this right now, you have no idea what this is like" Quinn exclaimed.

"Right because I have this perfect marriage that yours can never live up to in your head" Rachel replied, rolling her eyes. Nobody said anything else as the tension grew between the two women. Rachel wasn't going to back down from what she said and Quinn was too stubborn to see Rachel was trying to help.

Santana threw her head back, jokingly "Oh, god this is awkward"

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Monday Evening**

While the girls were talking to Quinn, Finn had ushered the kids into the playroom and then as soon as Puck had gotten home, Finn had cornered him into the living room telling him they were going to watch the game but really Finn wanted to know what was going on in Puck's head.

"So, divorce, that's what you spent two weeks thinking about" Finn quipped, as he handed Puck a beer before sitting down next to him on the sofa, switching on the game as he did.

"I'm letting her go, Quinn doesn't want to be married to me, she wanted an out and I gave her one" Puck acknowledged as he tried to focus on the game, despite Finn's pressing eyes on him.

"Puck, that's crazy, you love each other!" Finn affirmed.

"Maybe so, but that's not enough. Quinn can't face the real issues that we have, she wants the fairy tale and I'm giving it to her. To find it with someone else" Puck reasoned, waving his beer round before taking a long drink.

"But what about what you want Puck, what about your happiness!" Finn asked, still staring at Puck who refused to look at him.

"I haven't got that far yet" Puck sighed.

"Puck this isn't right, none of this is right" Finn said, Puck reached for the remote and paused the game before finally turning to Finn.

"Finn, no offence but I really don't want to talk about this!"

"Okay fine" Finn sighed, nodding at Puck "Can I say one thing though"

"Okay, just one thing then we watch the game"

"This whole thing is stupid, don't lose one of the best things that ever happened to you because of some misguided attempt at doing the right thing. You deserve better than that" Finn stated, firmly. Puck didn't say anything for a few moments as he thought about what Finn said. Eventually Puck nodded as he turned the game back on.

"Fine, can we watch the game now" Puck smiled weakly. All he'd done was think about his marriage for the last two weeks and he needed a break from it.

Finn nodded "Yes, we can"

 **XoXo**

Once the game was over, Puck went to the spare room to be alone, just as Rachel stormed into the house, clearly angry about something. Finn turned off the TV and walked into the kitchen where Rachel was getting herself a beer.

"So how was Quinn?" Finn asked, taking a seat at the breakfast bar as Rachel handed him a beer.

"No clue, we got in a fight and I left. She's being so stupid. Just giving up on everything her and Noah have" Rachel ranted, before taking a drink of her beer before coming around and taking a seat next to Finn at the breakfast bar.

"I said the same thing to Puck, he's only doing this because he thinks it's what Quinn wants, a fairy tale life that he doesn't think he can give her" Finn said as he wrapped his arm around Rachel and pulled her on to his lap.

"They are both idiots" Rachel snipped as she cuddled into Finn. She hated fighting with Quinn but her friend needed some home truths if she was going to save her marriage.

"Maybe but it's on them to fix this, not us" Finn reasoned, kissing the top of her head.

"Yeah" Rachel sighed, snuggling further into Finn "Where are the kids"

"In the playroom, Henry still hasn't said anything about his fight with NJ" Finn replied. He tried to talk to Henry again after his son spent two hours at the bottom of the stairs but he still wasn't budging, so Finn had sent him upstairs but he'd been too focused on Puck to stop henry from playing with his sister in their playroom.

"That's a problem for tomorrow, I've had enough for today" Rachel declared.

"Wanna watch Scandal and make out on the sofa" Finn offered, looking down at Rachel with a loving smile.

Rachel beamed at him "Absolutely"

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Tuesday Evening**

The next day, Rachel walked into the house after a day of work to find Finn sat on the bottom of the stairs. Rachel dumped her shoes, bag and coat on the lounge chairs by the door and walked over to Finn, wanting to know why he was hanging by the stairs.

"Hey, you're finally home, how was work?" Finn asked, smiling at Rachel as she took a seat next to him on the stairs, giving him a quick kiss.

"Very long, what are you doing on the stairs" Rachel smirked.

"Eve's dropping, come with me" Finn said. He took her hand and lead her upstairs. The stopped outside the playroom and Rachel saw Henry and Rose sat in the middle of the room with NJ.

"NJ's here, but where's Noah" Rachel asked, looking at Finn before turning back to the children. They both took a step back to make sure the children couldn't see them, but they could still hear them.

"He had to get something from Dalton… just listen" Finn replied, nodding his head towards the door. Rachel inched closer to the door just as Rose started speaking again.

"Okay NJ tell Henry why you were up upset" Rose instructed, crossing her arms as she stared NJ down. Henry looked down at his lap as he answered.

"I was upset because my mommy and daddy aren't living together any more, we're not a family now" NJ replied, sadly. Rachel jumped off the wall to walk into the room but before she could, Finn grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Just give it one minute" Finn whispered. Rachel nodded then turned back to the children.

"I'm sorry NJ" Henry said, reaching across to hug NJ. Rose and Henry knew better than most children what hurt felt like and while they didn't know what was going on with Puck and Quinn, they knew their uncle shouldn't be living with them but with his family.

"I'm sorry too NJ but that no reason to hit, me and Henry are your friends" Rose stated, firmly. Rachel smirked slightly, despite no shared DNA Rose was almost Rachel's double, when it came to attitude.

NJ nodded "I know"

"So next time you are upset and don't want to tell your mommy and daddy then you can tell me and Henry" Rose explained.

"Okay" NJ said. Rose beamed at him then joined Henry in giving him another hug. NJ squeezed them both back and when they pulled away Rachel could see that NJ was a lot happier.

"Good, now let's play Barbie's" Rose beamed, she stood up and walked over to her toy chest full of Barbie's. NJ and Henry shared an annoyed look.

"Can't we play Avengers" NJ sighed.

"No, I'm the oldest I'm in charge" Rose replied, not noticing Henry and NJ both stick their tongues out at her before walking over to the toy chest.

"I knew us telling her that would bite us in arse" Finn whispered to Rachel as they moved away from the door now that the children were playing together.

"She did fix things though" Rachel smiled.

"She did" Finn nodded "Henry and NJ were playing, Henry won, NJ said he cheated and because he was already upset with everything, NJ lashed out and Henry fought back"

"Seems so stupid now" Rachel sighed, shaking her head. Finn nodded in agreement and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Especially with everything else going on" Finn agreed, looking down at Rachel "NJ needed a friend not someone to fight back or argue"

"Very subtle Finn, I'll go talk to Quinn"

"That's my girl" Finn beamed wrapping Rachel into a tight hug, before kissing the top of her head.

 **Quinn's Apartment – Upper East Side – Tuesday Evening**

"Rachel, hey? Gotta say I'm surprised to see you here" Quinn said as she opened the door to Rachel. The two women hadn't spoken since the day before and Quinn was still angry at Rachel for yelling at her when she needed a friend.

"I just came to talk not argue" Rachel relented, holding up her hands in surrender.

"Come in" Quinn said, she opened the door for Rachel then followed her into the living room.

"NJ and Henry patched things up, the whole thing was stupid really. NJ was upset and took it out on Henry that's all that was" Rachel explained, taking a seat on the lounge chair while Quinn remained standing with her arms crossed.

"So, you're saying a bad mother for not realising my son is upset" Quinn snipped.

"Is that what I said, I'm saying that our three-year-old sons are acting more maturely than we are. I'm not sorry for what I said, but I am sorry for the way I said them. There's a time and a place for everything and it was insensitive so soon after you talking to Noah"

"You were right though, weren't you?" Quinn said, harshly.

"That's not important Quinn, what's important is what you do about it now"

"What can I do, Noah has made his decision, he wants a divorce" Quinn grumbled, looking away from Rachel as she began to tear up.

"If you really believe that, then you deserve to lose him" Rachel snipped, giving Quinn a pointed look. Quinn left out a defeated sigh as she finally sat down on the sofa.

"I can see now that you need to figure this out on your own, so no more yelling or telling you what to do" Rachel affirmed "But I'm still your friend, so if you need to wallow for a while then I'll be here for that too"

"Thank you, Rachel" Quinn smiled sadly.

"So, I have wine, chocolate, magazines, a rom- com and I bought you some new cosy PJ's. We're gonna have a sleepover tonight and tomorrow you can start figuring the rest out" Rachel explained as she handed Quinn the pyjamas.

Quinn went into her room to change and when she came back into the living room, she saw Rachel had unpacked everything on to the coffee table and Santana and Mercedes were both their, also in their pyjamas.

"Hey guys?" Quinn said, confused.

"What you thought you could have a sleepover without us" Mercedes quipped, taking a seat on the sofa as Rachel poured them all a glass of wine, while Santana cut up some chocolate and cheese samples.

"Here's your wine, so what's first The Notebook or _A Walk to Remember_ " Rachel asked, fishing the DVD's out of her bag as she turned on the television.

"Definitely, _A Walk to Remember_ I need a good cry" Quinn replied, as she settled herself on the sofa with her friends.

* * *

 **DON'T HATE ME GUYS - Its a Journey and this is just a bump in the road :) Let me know what you thought**


	12. 4x12 - Glee and The Early Delivery

**Hey Guys :)**

 **New episode for you lovely people. Thank you for all the lovely reviews, this seems to be the most popular season so far! Let me know what you think of the new one, and I'm no doctor which will be clear as you read along.**

 **Happy Reading**

* * *

 **Episode 12 - Glee and The Early Delivery**

* * *

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Saturday Afternoon**

 _"Your girl is lovely Hubbell. Why don't you bring her a drink when you come?"_

Rachel cuddled further into Finns' side as they continued to watch The Way We Were. It was a rare Saturday afternoon where the Hudson family had nothing planned so they were enjoying some quiet time at home. Finn and Rachel were watching Rachel's favourite movie while Rosie coloured on her Kid table and Henry played with his toys by the Glass doors that lead to the garden. They had a coffee table full of snacks and drinks and they didn't plan to move all day.

That plan was ruined when Rachel's phone began to ring in the other room. Rachel paused the movie and got up to answer it.

"Remember no works calls" Finn reminded her as she walked through the arch way. They had promised each other that they would do no work on their peaceful weekend off.

"I know" Rachel called back.

Finn picked at the popcorn as he waited for Rachel to get back. Rose turned to her father and held up the picture she had just finished painting. It was their house and Rose and what Finn assumed was NJ playing in the garden.

"Finished daddy" Rose beamed at her father, clearly pleased with her finished picture.

"That's is lovely Rosie" Finn beamed back at his daughter. Rose's smile got wider as she pegged it up on the string with the rest of her pictures.

"Finn"

Finn looked to the archway to see Rachel beckoning him to the kitchen still clutching her phone in her hand. With one last glance at Rose and Henry to make sure they were okay Finn joined Rachel in the kitchen.

"What's going on?" He asked he watched his wife excitedly bounce on her toes.

"That was Lydia's parents, she's gone into labour" Rachel exclaimed. Finn's eyes widened and his jaw actually dropped.

"Really!"

"Yeah they want is to get up there as soon as possible" Rachel added. Lydia was a month early but luckily they were all prepared for the new baby's arrival.

"Think Santana could watch the kids" Finn wondered as he quickly went over everything they would need before they left to drive to Long Beach, where Lydia had been staying with her parents.

"I'll make her" Rachel laughed as she looked back at her children. She knew they would have to explain what was happening, to them before they left.

"You ring her, I'll get out stuff"

"Finn" Rachel called Finn back and looked at him with wide eyes and a beaming smile "We're getting our baby"

Finn marched back over to Rachel and lifted her into his arms, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately right in the middle of the kitchen.

 **XoXo**

"What about this one Auntie Sans"

Rose held up a painted picture of her new baby brother. Santana nodded her head and Rose put it on the peg to dry with the others.

After Rachel and Finn had explained to an excited Rose and Henry that they were going to pick up their new baby brother, Santana had arrived shortly after and Finn and Rachel had set off to Long Beach.

Rose had had the idea that she wanted some surprises for her new brother so that he would be happy to live with them. After Santana had got over how sweet Rose was she quickly agreed and had called everyone to help. They would have a mini party for the new Baby Hudson's arrival.

An hour later Rose was painting pictures of each family member for the baby to remember and Santana was making a list of what else they needed before everyone else got there. Henry had obviously got tired from the excitement and had fallen asleep on the couch.

"Hey Santana, you here" Mercedes called as she and Sam walked through the reception area of the house.

"Living room" Santana called back. Henry stirred at the noise but then quickly settled back.

"Hey Rosie, you excited for your new baby brother" Mercedes cheered to the four-year-old. Rose nodded her head eagerly then went back to her painting of her Uncle Sam.

Mercedes and Sam walked into the living room and Santana handed Sam a list.

"This is the food and drinks we need for the party. Once Brittany gets here I'll tell her to meet you at the store on the next street over" Santana smiled at Sam that he knew meant 'you have to do what I say'.

"Eye, eye captain" Sam cheered. He kissed Mercedes then left the house quickly to meet Brittany.

"We need a banner" Santana told Mercedes. "Which Quinn will know where to get but she's not answering, you might have to go round to hers. I know that Puck had NJ today, although I have no clue where they are"

"I'll let her know"

"Okay I've finished Uncle Sam" Rose held up another picture. Mercedes and Santana couldn't help but chuckle as Rose had painted Sam with a huge mouth.

"That looks exactly like him Rosie" Rose beamed at her aunts then quickly started on her next picture.

 **Quinn's Apartment – Upper East Side – Saturday Afternoon**

Half an hour later Mercedes was knocking loudly at Quinn's apartment door. Mercedes was waiting a few moments before she was greeted with a very dressed down Quinn. Mercedes didn't even think Quinn owned joggers never mind would wear them in front of other people.

"Were you asleep?" Mercedes wondered as Quinn let her inside.

"No" Quinn replied as she took a seat back where she had been moments before, flipping through Art magazines.

"Then there is no excuse for not answering your phone or for you to be dressed like that" Mercedes stated giving Quinn a look.

Quinn threw her magazines back down on her coffee table then gave Mercedes a look of her.

"My child is with his father so what is so important that I need to get dressed for" Quinn wondered. Mercedes smirked knowingly at her.

"Lydia is in labour, Finn and Rachel have gone to Long Beach to get their new baby and we are throwing them a small party. So, get dressed and run a brush through your hair, we have some shopping to do" Mercedes quickly explained not stopping to let Quinn react. As soon as Mercedes had finished Quinn quickly rose from her seat and ran to her bedroom.

"Give me 15 minutes"

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Saturday Afternoon**

While Mercedes had gone to get Quinn, Santana was tiding up the living room ready for the decorations and food that the others were buying.

"I've already sent that file over to them" Santana said as she tidied away the toys in the living room.

"Yes I've sent that over to them as well" Santana added. She had been listening to one of the other partners rattle off about one of their cases. Santana had been having a miserable few weeks at work. She felt like she was doing the same thing day in and day out and was getting very bored by everything.

"I asked Frank to handle it, I have a family emergency" Santana said as she threw the toys into the basket. She put her phone between her ear as she picked up the basket to take upstairs to the play room.

"Yes I'll do that now" Santana mused before finally ending the call. She dumped the basket in the playroom just as Brittany was coming out of the bathroom.

"Everything okay?" Brittany asked when she noticed the tense look on Santana's face despite the happy occasion.

"Yeah just work again, apparently, nobody there takes a day off" Santana answered "And all the new interns are idiots"

"You okay?"

"I'm fine" Santana waved off "You need to meet Sam at Westside Market"

"You sure, I can listen to you complain about your job for a while" Brittany said. She had heard all about Santana's job for the last few weeks, her wife had had something to say about every person at the firm.

"Its fine, go" Santana replied. Brittany knew Santana wasn't in the mood, so she kissed her goodbye then left to go to the store. Santana walked back into the living room where Rose and Henry had finished off their paintings and were now watching the Disney Channel.

"You worried about the new baby taking all the cookies Auntie Sans" Rose asked when Santana slumped down on the couch next to them.

"I am yeah" Santana laughed. Rose inched closer to her Aunt and whispered in her ear.

"Don't worry I hid them in my room"

 **Puck's Friends Apartment – East Village – Saturday Afternoon**

After getting dressed Quinn agreed to meet Mercedes at the Party store as there was one stop she had to make beforehand. Quinn knocked on his door and only had to wait a few seconds before she saw Puck with NJ in his arms, they both had their coats on like they were ready to leave, Quinn was happy she didn't have to have an awkward conversation with Puck's friend before she could speak to Puck.

"MOMMY!" NJ exclaimed loudly.

"Hey baby" Quinn smiled she stroked her son's face softly then looked at Puck.

"Quinn? Is everything okay?" Puck wondered. He put NJ down and took his hand. NJ looked up at both his parents happy that they were together. While NJ didn't fully understand what was happening with his parents he did notice he was spending a lot more time with them apart.

"Lydia is in labour. Finn and Rachel went to get their baby. And we are throwing them a party" Quinn explained quickly. Pucks eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh wow, Finn did try calling me and I haven't had chance to get back to him yet" Puck answered. NJ pulled on his father's hand suddenly bored with standing in the hallway.

"They don't know about the party we want it to be a surprise" Quinn added, Quinn bounced on her heels nervously.

Puck nodded "Of course"

"We should both be there, they are our best friends and we should both celebrate with them" Quinn reasoned. As soon as Mercedes had told her what they were all going to do, Quinn knew it was important that Puck be there as well. They had to put their own feelings aside for their best friends.

"Are you sure?" Puck asked. Ever since they had separated Puck and Quinn had spent time with Finn and Rachel separately to make it easier for everyone.

"Of course Noah" Quinn affirmed

"Okay great, what do you want me to do?" Puck asked. He closed and locked his front door and the three of them began to leave.

"You could meet Sam and Brittany at the grocery store on the street over from Finn and Rachel's house" Quinn answered

"I can do that"

"I know it's your day but I can take NJ with me back to the house you know if it's easy, I understand if ..." Quinn rambled

"Of course Quinn" Puck cut off smiling at her. The three of them quickly made it outside of Pucks apartment building. Quinn hailed as taxi knowing it would be easier than taking the subway with her three year old son.

"Okay we will meet you back at the house" Quinn said. Puck gave NJ's hand to Quinn, who smiled up at his mother.

"Thank you Quinn" Puck smiled at Quinn then began walking in the opposite direction. Quinn watched him until she couldn't see him anymore.

 **Miller Children & Women's Hospital – Long Beach – Saturday Afternoon**

An hour later Rachel and Finn arrived at Women's Hospital. They made it to the reception where they met Lydia's father who told them everything was going fine and that he could come and find them when things had processed. Finn and Rachel went to the waiting room near Lydia's room.

"Well this certainly isn't how I thought we would be spending our weekend" Finn reasoned with a smile as they both took a seat in the waiting room. Finn put the car seat and bag on the seat next to him.

"We have everything right?" Rachel worried as she ran her hands together. Finn smiled at his wife and wrapped his arm around her pulling her close.

"Yes, my always organised wife finished everything early"

Rachel looked around and noticed they were the only ones in the waiting room so she moved on to Finn's lap. He wrapped his arms around her as she put her head on his chest.

"Did Noah call you back?" Rachel asked.

"Not yet but it's his day with NJ so he might have taken him out" Finn answered.

"They both seem to be handling it well" Rachel reasoned. Finn nodded his head in agreement "Has Noah said anything to you"

"Rach I thought we agreed we wouldn't talk about it" Finn argued. The married couple knew it was the best thing for their own marriage not to talk about Quinn and Puck especially when they both wanted to be there for their best friends.

"I know I would just hate to see them both just give up because that's what they think the other one wants" Rachel reasoned.

"Has Quinn said something" Finn asked looking down at his wife. Rachel and Finn both shared a look, they both knew the other knew something about the separated couple.

"You're right we shouldn't talk about it" Rachel agreed. Finn nodded in agreement then kissed the top of Rachel's head.

Finn moved his lips closer to Rachel's ear and kissed her lightly behind it. "You know what we should talk about"

"We can't have sex in a hospital Finn" Rachel teased as she leaned into Finn's kisses.

"That's not what I meant" Finn laughed against Rachel's ear, which sent a shiver up Rachel's spine.

"Then what?"

Finn pulled Rachel closer "We need to name this new baby of ours"

 **Westside Market – West Village – Saturday Afternoon**

Puck arrived at the Westside supermarket, he saw Sam and Brittany waiting outside for him. They all walked inside and as Sam grabbed her shopping cart, Brittany handed Puck the list.

"So this is the list of what we need" Brittany stated. Without Finn with them, the three of them weren't really sure how to act with one another. For the last month all Brittany and Sam had heard were bad things about Puck and what he had done.

"There's a lot of alcohol on this list" Puck mused as they three made their way to the alcohol aisle.

Brittany shrugged "Santana made the list"

"Let's start this way" Sam pointed to the Spirits. He put in some bottles of vodka. He looked to Brittany who told him to put in another.

"How are you and Santana, Brittany" Sam wondered as they moved to the beers.

"We're good yeah, what about you and Mercedes" Brittany answered. Puck put in a crate of Budweiser, he watched the other two as they looked at the list, he could tell they felt as awkward as he was.

"We're good as well" Sam nodded.

Brittany gave Puck a cautious look "How are things with Quinn?"

Brittany and Sam knew that Puck probably wouldn't answer with the same response as he would for Finn and they were more than happy with that.

"We're getting alone better" Puck stated bluntly.

"That's good" Brittany answered lamely not sure what else to say. Even though she was with Santana she still knew she didn't know everything about what was going on.

Puck groaned loudly "We need Finn"

"Agreed" Sam and Brittany agreed.

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Saturday Afternoon**

An hour later Quinn and Mercedes had picked up the party decorations and were putting them around Finn and Rachel's living room. Quinn secured the sign over the sofa then looked back at Santana and Mercedes.

"There that's done" Quinn proclaimed as she stepped off the Sofa. She had got a 'Its Boy' sign and blue streamers and balloons and a blue table cloth that they covered the dining room in for the food and drink once the others had got back.

"How did you do all this in an hour" Santana mused as she sat down on the sofa. Quinn and Mercedes both joined her for a moment of peace. The children were all playing in Rose's bedroom.

"She's magic" Mercedes smiled before looking at Quinn "So Puck's here"

"He's Finn's best friend and he is living here" Quinn shrugged. Puck and Quinn had not seen a lot of each other since he told her he wanted a divorce, they had both been relying on Rachel and Finn to relay messages about NJ.

"Is that all" Santana asked. Quinn gave her a questioning look. "Quinn you know I'm not one to sing Puck's praises, or anyone really but we all know you don't want a divorce"

"What am I supposed to do"

"It means that if being with Puck is what makes you happy then you need to tell him that… fight!" Santana replied. They knew that Puck ad every right to be angry about what happened, but they also knew that wasn't the reason he was asking for divorce.

"Too much has happened. We are in a good place right now. We are getting along and I'm not going to disturb NJ's life again" Quinn argued, she leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes.

"What NJ needs is for his parents to be happy and together" Mercedes interjected

"Are you forgetting what Puck told me he wanted a divorce" Quinn snapped finally looking at Santana.

"Quinn we both know that its not what either of you want" Santana reasoned

"I don't know what I want"

"Quinn look down at your hand" Santana said. Quinn looked down at her hand, she had never taken off her engagement and wedding rings despite being separated from Puck for over a month.

"I think you know exactly what you want you're just afraid to fight then fail" Santana stated, she took Quinn's hand and Quinn smirked slightly her.

"When did you become such a romantic" Quinn quipped.

"Please I'm not, I just want my friend to be happy" Santana scoffed with a way of her hand. Quinn smiled sincerely at her.

"Thank you"

Santana nodded at her before turning to Mercedes "You're quiet Mercedes"

"Sorry just a lot on my mind" Mercedes answered distractedly.

"Anything we can help with?" Quinn wondered, Mercedes hadn't mentioned anything that had been wrong but Mercedes always bottled it up until she was ready to deal with it.

"No I'm fine" Mercedes replied just as the front door opened "That'll be the guys"

Mercedes jumped up from the sofa to join the others. Quinn and Santana shared a look at their friend's obvious display of avoid-ness.

"Is everything okay between her and Sam" Quinn wondered as Brittany called to them from the kitchen to help with the food.

Santana sighed as they both got up to help the others "Who even knows anymore"

 **XoXo**

After helping setting up all the food and drinks Quinn went upstairs to get the children. She found NJ playing with Rose's play kitchen while Rose was talking to her brother. Quinn leaned against the door and listened in to the sibling's conversation.

"So you have to share with them okay, we have to share all our toys" Rose explained as she waved her hands to all the toys in Rose and Henry's playroom. It was the best room in the house, according to the children and NJ loved any chance he got to come over and play in it.

"I will Rosie" Henry nodded his head earnestly.

"And when he is bigger you will sneak him a cookie when he has a bad dream like I do for you" Rose added. Quinn welled up as she thought about Rose doing that for her Brother and she wondered if Rachel and Finn knew.

"I promise"

"Mommy and Daddy will probably be really busy with the baby because they can't do anything when they are born so if you need something come to me first okay" Rose said. Henry nodded his head in reply. Rose got up and took her brother's hand.

"Okay so which toys should go in the baby's room" Rose asked as she pulled Henry over to the baskets full of toys that lined the back wall. None of the children had yet noticed Quinn watching them.

"Mommy and daddy will still love us won't they Rosie" Henry whispered to his sister. Quinn could see how worried Henry was by the thought and before she could rush over and reassure the two children Rose replied.

"They will Henry. Mommy's and daddy's have so much love for all the babies they have, even if they have a _hundred"_ Rose enthused. Henry seemed a lot better with that information so the two went back to picking out some toys.

"Finn and Rachel taught her well"

Quinn turned to see Puck behind her, she hadn't even heard him come up the stairs.

"They really did" Quinn agreed as she went back to watching the children.

"You okay Quinn?" Puck asked as Quinn seemed distracted to him.

"I am yeah" Quinn nodded, when Puck went to leave Quinn called him back "Wait Noah I have to say something"

Puck looked back at Quinn and waited for her to continue.

"I think we should fight" Quinn proclaimed looking him straight in the eyes "I still love you. We've both made mistakes, mistakes that may take a while to fix but I want to fix them. We have come too far to give up now. We have a child together and I want that for him" Quinn waved to where Henry and Rose were dividing their toys "I want him to have siblings, I want that for him and me. And I want that with you"

Puck stayed silent as Quinn spoke, she could tell he hadn't been expecting her to stay that and seemed to be frozen in shock.

"You don't have to say anything now. I want you to think about it just like I have" Quinn added holding up her hand before Puck could say anything. "I'm going to go downstairs; we can talk later"

Quinn walked back down stairs before Puck could utter a word.

 **Miller Children & Women's Hospital – Long Beach – Saturday Afternoon**

Finn and Rachel had both finished their third cup of coffee when Lydia's father came walking over to them.

"Mr and Mrs Hudson" Mr Reynolds said. Finn and Rachel both jumped up from their seat to look at the older man.

"It's a boy" Mr Reynolds stated. Rachel and Finn hugged each other happily "He has been taken to the nursery now"

"How's Lydia" Rachel asked still wrapped in Finn's arms. Rachel wondered what this was like for the older man as he watched his third grandchild be given away.

"She's well, her mother is with her while she gets cleaned up" Mr Reynolds replied. Rachel nodded not sure what else to say to him.

"I'm going to get back to my daughter" Mr Reynolds said after a few moments of silence. He shook Finn's hand then began to leave.

"Thank you Mr Reynolds" Rachel said before he got too far away. Mr Reynold slowly turned around and looked back at the married couple.

"Thank you for giving my grandchildren the life that their mother couldn't" Mr Reynolds replied before he marched away from them. Rachel and Finn shared another look before they went to find the nursery. Once they reached it, they told a nurse who they were and she quickly brought them over to a small cot in the corner of the room.

"Here he is Mr and Mrs Hudson" The nurse smiled at the pair as she handed Rachel their baby. He was wrapped tightly in a white blanket but Rachel could still see black baby hairs and is gorgeous blue eyes, just like Rose's and Henry's.

"He's beautiful" Rachel said softly as she stared at her new son. Finn wrapped his arms around her and pulled them both close.

Finn trailed his finger down his son's face "He's ours"

 **XoXo**

Lydia had been resting in bed for the past ten minutes when she heard someone knock on her door. She looked up to see Rachel open the door slowly.

"Is it okay if I come in" Rachel asked.

"Of course" Lydia smiled ushering Rachel inside "How is he?"

"He's perfect, I've already taken a hundred photos of him, I can send you one if you'd like" Rachel replied as she took a seat next to Lydia's bed. She had finally handed her son over to Finn so he can have a hold and while he was getting everything ready for them to all leave Rachel wanted to check on Lydia.

"I would like that thank you" Lydia said, she laid back on her bed. Rachel could see how tired she was but before she fell asleep Rachel took out a photo from her bag and handed it to Lydia.

"Here I took this last week" Rachel said. Lydia welled up as she looked at the photo of Rose and Henry both asleep cuddling each other on Rachel and Finn's bed.

"They are beautiful" Lydia said softly, she wiped away a few tears then put the photo on the cabinet by her bed.

"Thank you for trusting me with them, I promise we will take care of them"

"I know you will Rachel" Lydia agreed earnestly "And I promise you won't hear from me again"

Rachel shook her head slightly "I understand if..."

"It's not fair to them" Lydia cut her off "They are not my children they are yours. They always were and always will be"

"I should get going" Rachel said. She got up from her chair and before she could think about it she pulled Lydia into a gentle but quick hug.

"I hope you find the life you deserve Lydia" Rachel said. Lydia didn't say anything else as Rachel left the room, everything had already been said. Rachel closed the door behind her and saw Finn waiting for her. He had the baby into the car seat, ready for them to go home.

"Everything okay" Finn asked as Rachel checked over the baby, she secured the blanket around him and fixed his little hat.

"Everything's perfect" Rachel beamed looking back up at her husband "let's go home"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Saturday Evening**

"Surprise!"

Everyone whispered as Finn and Rachel walked through the front door two hours later. Rachel put the car seat on the lounge chair in the reception area, as he was still sleeping.

"Why are you whispering" Finn laughed as everyone rushed over to get a look at the baby.

"We weren't sure if he would be sleeping" Quinn explained. While everyone looked at the baby Rachel and Finn both picked up Rose and Henry and gave them both a hug.

"Oh he's gorgeous" Mercedes squealed. Everyone froze when Mercedes voice made the baby stir in car seat, they all let out a sigh of relief when he remained asleep.

"Hey Rosie" Rachel smiled when she noticed both Rose and Henry staring intently at their new brother.

"Is that our brother?" Rose asked. Rachel moved Rose closer so she could get a better look, she saw Finn do the same with Henry.

"It is, what do you think" Rachel asked. She let Rose down and everyone watched as she walked over to the baby and softly stroked his face.

"He's nice, what's his name" Rose asked. She took Henry's hand and pulled him over to the baby and showed him how to stroke his face. Nearly all the adults had tears in their eyes as they watched the siblings.

Rachel nodded over at Finn for him to tell everyone the name. It had been his choice and he should be the one to tell them all.

"His name is Mason Noah Hudson" Finn replied. Everyone looked at Puck and they could all see him choke up slightly as he stared at the baby. Quinn reached over and squeezed his arm, everyone knew what it meant that Rachel and Finn had honoured him in this way.

"That's like your name… and my name!" NJ said happily pointing at his father.

"I'm ... Thank you" Puck said sincerely before pulling Rachel and Finn into a quick embrace. Once they had finished everyone went back to looking at the sleeping baby. NJ had joined his friends stroking the baby's face.

Santana kneeled down next to her Niece and Nephews "Welcome to the group Mason"

 **XoXo**

"I can't believe you guys did all this" Rachel beamed as she looked at the sign and streamers that covered her living room. The guys and Brittany were having a drink in the kitchen, the children had had enough at looking at the new baby so they had gone back to the playroom and the girls were in the living room watching over the new addition as continued to sleep in Rachel's arms.

"We had to welcome our new nephew in style" Santana replied, she took a drink of her beer as she watched the sleeping baby. Santana had never wanted any children of her own, but she had a special place in her heart for her Niece and nephews.

"He's a cutie" Mercedes smiled, she was sat on the coffee table facing Rachel softly playing with Mason' tiny feet while he slept.

"So have I missed anything" Rachel asked. She's only been gone a few hours but that was always enough time for something to happen in their group.

"I told Noah I wanted to fight for our marriage" Quinn declared, Rachel turned to her friend shocked.

"I'm not sure that Sam's happy with me" Mercedes admitted with a sigh, Rachel quickly turned to Mercedes.

"I really hate my job" Santana concluded, Rachel then turned to her – even for their group it was still a lot to happen.

"Okay which should we talk about first" Rachel eventually asked, she placed Mason on her legs so he could stretch out in his sleep.

"None of them, right now we are going to coo over this little guy" Quinn replied.

All the other nodded "Agreed"

 **XoXo**

"So does this mean I have to name my next son after you" Puck joked as he handed Finn a beer. Sam and Brittany had joined the others in the living room while Finn and Puck had gone to check on the kids.

"That's exactly what it means" Finn replied as the two of them walked up the stairs.

"Thanks though man I'm honoured" Puck affirmed. Finn nodded his head, when the two had reached the playroom Finn could tell that something was on Puck's mind.

"Is everything okay with you" Finn asked.

"Quinn told me she wants to fight. She doesn't want the divorce" Puck explained, while Finn absorbed the news Puck told NJ to say goodbye to Rose and Henry so they could leave.

"Well I'm certainly glad" Finn replied once Puck had finished "Because we both know you never did"

Before Puck could reply they, both noticed Quinn walking up to the two of them.

"I just wanted to say bye to NJ, I'm gonna leave soon" Quinn explained.

Finn quickly looked at Puck then Quinn "I'll give you both a minute"

Quinn waved her hand over to the children "I'm going to ..."

Before Quinn walked away Puck grabbed hold of her hand "I want to fight as well; I love you Quinn. I want to fight"

 **XoXo**

Two hours later after all their friends had left Rachel and Finn were getting their children ready for bed. Mason had been fed and was already in his basinet in Rachel and Finn's room while Rose and Henry, who had both been bathed and put in their pyjamas, were trying to get another few minutes in their play room.

"Okay munchkin's time for bed" Rachel said as she walked into the playroom.

"But I'm not tired" Rose groaned from where she was playing in her toy kitchen.

"Well, mommy and daddy are so come on" Rachel said. She held out her hands for Henry and Rose who very slowly got up from their toys and walked over to their mom.

"I wanna sleep in your bed" Henry said as they reached Rachel and Finn's bedroom.

"Go get your teddy then" Rachel replied. Rose and Henry raced back to their bedrooms to grab their teddies while Rachel got into bed.

"That is not happening every night" Finn said as he came out of their bathroom. He walked over to the basinet to check on Mason before climbing into bed.

"Agreed" Rachel nodded firmly "Quick kiss me before they come back"

"I love you Mrs Hudson" Finn stated before pulling Rachel in for a passionate kiss. He put both hands on her face as he pulled her closer.

"I love you Mr Hudson" Rachel replied once they had pulled away.

"Ewwww"

Rachel and Finn looked at their children who had come back into their bedroom. Finn held out his arms for his children.

"Come give daddy a kiss" Finn said. Rose and Henry ran to their dad and each gave him a kiss on the cheek as he pulled them onto the bed.

"Okay everyone in to bed" Rachel said as she threw the comforter over all of them.

"Night Mommy, night Daddy, night Henry" Rose cheered as she cuddled in next to her mother.

"Night Sweetie" Rachel replied wrapping her arm around her daughter. Finn switched off the lights and everyone got comfortable in the bed. The room was only silent for a few moments when a large cry filled the room. Rose sat up in the bed and looked over at the crying baby.

"Is he going to do that all the time"


	13. 4x13 - Glee and The New Baby

**4x13 - Glee and The New Baby**

* * *

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Saturday Morning**

Three weeks after they brought Mason home from the hospital, Rachel and Finn were awoken by a loud cry throughout their house. Rachel and Finn slowly woke up, and Finn reached over to turn on the bedside light while Rachel turned down the baby monitor.

"Wow I am not used to that in our house" Rachel groaned as she rolled over onto her side so she was facing Finn.

"I'll go; he probably just needs a diaper change" Finn grumbled, throwing the duvet off himself. He walked into Mason's Nursery and picked up his crying son.

Ten minutes later, Finn had changed Mason, rocked him, and given him a bottle but Mason still wouldn't settle and Finn had no clue what to do next. Despite Mason being their third child, this was the first time Rachel and Finn had a new born baby in their house and it had been a learning curve for both of them.

"Everything okay" Rachel asked walking into the nursery to see Finn walking back and forth bouncing Mason in his arms.

"I've changed him, feed him, rocked him, nothing is working" Finn ranted, giving Rachel a helpless look.

"Here I'll take over" Rachel said. Rachel took Mason from Finn and continued the pacing while Finn threw himself into the rocking chair, closing his eyes.

"Shhh there, there Mason" Rachel soothed, stroking Mason's face while rocking him from side to side.

"We'll get the hang of it" Finn said, reassuringly as he rubbed his eyes to try and stay awake. Rachel turned to face him with a soft smile on her face.

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself" Rachel quipped as she sat on Finn's lap, leaning her head on Finn's shoulder. Mason had stopped crying but was still fussy in Rachel's arms.

"Both" Finn laughed, looking down at Mason "Maybe he's too warm"

Rachel checked Mason's forehead then undid some buttons on Mason's Babygro as Rose walked into the Nursery, her hair and pyjamas rumpled, clearly woken up by Mason's cries.

"Daddy why is Mason crying" Rose whispered as she walked over to her parents, looking at her brother concerned. Despite her initial reaction, Rose loved having a new baby brother and loved anytime she got to help her parents feed or change him.

"Come here sweetie, I'm sorry he woke you up he's just a little cranky" Finn said. He moved Rachel on his lap to make room for Rose. Rose climbed onto her father's lap and settled in his arms.

"Why?"

"I wish we knew" Finn sighed rubbing his eyes again, as he continued to rock the chair.

"And we've got another one" Rachel quipped as Henry walked into the Nursery. His hair stuck up all over the place and his pyjama top missing.

"The baby woke me up" Henry groaned, scowling at the baby. Unlike Rose, Henry had liked Mason at first until Mason started waking them all up in the middle of the night.

"Come here son" Finn said, waving Henry over. Henry climbed up his father's lap and settled himself on Rose's lap. Rachel started humming a lullaby while Finn rocked them in the chair and Rose stroked Mason's face and eventually Mason settled and finally went back to sleep.

"He finally stopped" Rose noted, looking down at her brothers closed eyes.

"I guess he needed us all in the room" Rachel reasoned.

"He wanted to wake us all" Finn mused, trying to stretch his legs out as they were now feeling heavy with four people on his lap.

"Come on guys back to bed" Rachel said, slowing getting off Finn's lap to put Mason back in his crib.

"With you" Rose smiled up at her mother with a bashful look. Rachel looked over at Finn, who just shrugged, he knew it would be the easiest way for him to get back to sleep.

"We can put him in the bassinet" Finn reasoned. Rachel nodded, so the family walked into the master bedroom. Rachel settled Mason in his bassinet while Finn helped Rose and Henry into their bed.

"Okay time to go back to sleep" Rachel said as she got into bed and threw the covers over the four of them. The had all settled into bed and were about to drift off again when Mason let out a loud cry.

"Daddy the baby is crying again" Henry groaned, shaking Finn awake, before pointing at Mason, just in case Finn didn't know where the noise was coming from.

 **The Diner – Park Avenue – Saturday Afternoon**

The next day Rachel was at the Diner with her friends, trying her best not to fall asleep in her burger. Mason had kept the family up for most of the night and none of them had gotten any real sleep. Despite only being three weeks old, Mason had a big set of lungs and was very loud when he wanted to be.

"You look like you're ready to pass out" Santana mused looking over at Rachel, who had her head in her hands trying her best not to close her eyes.

"That's because I am, Mason kept us all up last night, I've had like two hours sleep" Rachel complained, rubbing her eyes. Rachel had been so tired that she hadn't bothered with any make up and had thrown on the first outfit she could find. She would have cancelled just so she could get an hour of sleep but Rachel was going stir crazy in the house and needed to get out.

"Is everything okay" Quinn asked, glancing at Rachel sympathetically. Quinn remembered the sleepless nights all too well.

"Yeah, I just have a son who apparently hates to sleep at night, he's fine during the day" Rachel sighed, leaning back in her chair, closing her eyes briefly before Mercedes nudged her.

"Where are the kids now" Mercedes asked.

"I told Finn if he didn't give me this hour I was going to divorce him so he took them to the park with Noah and NJ" Rachel replied, Santana smirked at Rachel as Rachel took a long drink of her coffee before picking up Santana's and drinking some of that as well.

"Are you sure you're okay to have NJ while we are at our therapy session" Quinn wondered. Rachel and Finn were watching NJ for the afternoon but Quinn didn't feel right about it when her friend already had so much to deal with.

"Of course, I'm hoping NJ will be a good enough distraction for Rose and Henry, with Mason acting up we haven't been giving them enough attention" Rachel replied, through a yawn.

"As long as you're sure" Quinn pressed, giving Rachel a look.

Rachel nodded "I am"

"How are the sessions going" Mercedes asked, carefully. Quinn and Puck started their therapy sessions three weeks ago but the others had been cautious to ask about them because they knew it was a private thing between the married couple.

"Good I think; we still have stuff to figure out. Noah needs to be able to rust that nothing like this will ever happen again I need to start appreciating him more than I did. I know that now" Quinn explained, firmly.

"You both already seem better" Santana noted. The group had had dinner at Rachel and Finn's a couple of times since Mason was born and even though they weren't fully back together yet, Puck and Quinn seemed to be getting on a lot better. Which also made getting together as a group a lot easier.

"Did she tell you that her therapist called our group co-dependant" Rachel stated, with a smirk.

"You don't need a therapist to tell us that" Santana quipped, before taking a bite of her burger.

"She made some good points about us all needing to find a balance between our friends and partners" Quinn acknowledged, straightening up to show the matter was serious.

"I didn't realise we were being analysed as well, should we also be paying for these sessions" Santana jested, Mercedes and Rachel both gave her a look that she knew meant 'don't start anything'.

"It's just things I need to consider that's all, I also need to stop comparing every relationship I see with my own" Quinn argued

"You mean Finn and Rachel's" Santana interjected, which earned her a kick under the table from Rachel, who was still listening despite her eyes being closed.

"What are you two doing with the rest of your day" Quinn asked, ignoring Santana's comment, even if she knew it was true.

"I think one of us should probably help Rachel with the kids" Santana reasoned, looking over at Rachel. Who was clearly now asleep with her head in her hands.

Mercedes held her hand up "Not it"

"Not it, damit" Santana exclaimed shaking her head, as she pointed at Quinn and Mercedes "Fine but you have to do it the next time one of them needs a babysitter"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Saturday Afternoon**

After lunch had finished, Rachel went home, along with NJ, to see Finn trying to settle a cranky Henry while Rose and Henry also demanded his attention. Rachel had settled Rose, NJ, and Henry in the living room with some food and a movie, but she was having trouble settling Mason, while keeping him awake so he would sleep at night.

"Well at least them three are happy" Finn acknowledged walking into the kitchen "How's he doing?"

"He's really fussy, but I'm trying to keep him awake" Rachel said, as she dangled a toy in front of Mason while giving Finn a pleading look.

"We have to or he won't sleep tonight" Finn argued. He took a seat next to Rachel at the breakfast bar and laid his head on the counter.

Rachel nodded, while glaring at him "I know"

"Maybe we should make everything really loud" Finn reasoned, glancing over at the kids in the living room "Rose turn the telly up"

Rose turned the television up the loudest it would go, which resulted in Mason letting out a loud cry at the new noise. Rachel tried to sooth him while keeping him distracted by the toy.

"This is probably the worst idea you've had" Rachel snipped. Finn lifted his head up from the counter and give Rachel a hard look.

"Do you have any better ones" Finn argued.

"…No"

Finn put his head back on the counter and closed his eyes. Rachel lightly kicked Finn in the shin, Finn opened his eyes and gave her a questioning look.

"Kiss me" Rachel said. Finn sat up and leaned across to give Rachel a loving kiss, carefully not disturb Mason. Once he pulled away Finn sat up straight and smiled at Rachel.

"Why did I have to do that" Finn wondered.

"I'm sorry do you have a problem kissing your wife" Rachel quipped, smirking at Finn "We're both stressed but we can't lose it with each other"

"Agreed, kiss me" Finn smiled. Rachel leaned across this time and gave Finn a kiss but pulled away as Mason let out a loud cry.

"Mommy he's still crying" Rose groaned from the living room, as she tried to turn up the TV again.

Rachel let out a loud sigh "I know he is sweetie"

 **Therapists Office – Park Avenue – Saturday Afternoon**

At the same time, Puck and Quinn were in their therapy session. They had been going three times a week for the last three weeks and that day was their last session. They both felt like therapy had helped them to get through their issues, and they both hoped they would be able to continue dealing with their issues on their own.

"Okay Quinn, Noah this is our last session. You have both made great process these last three weeks" Joanna explained as she put down her pad and pen and gave the couple an encouraging smile.

"That's great! what do we do now" Puck asked.

"Well what I suggest now is to take a week apart from each other. Have no form of contact and spend the week really thinking about whether you want to be together and if you truly believe you can move on from what happened then meet up at prearranged place and if you both show up then you'll have your answer about your marriage" Joanna explained. Puck and Quinn shared a shocked look before turning back to Joanna.

"A whole week of not talking, we have a child together" Quinn argued.

"From what you've told me about your friends I'm sure they will be happy to help you there. It's important to have no outside forces affecting your decision to be together, even your child, that's what leads to resentment" Joanna explained further, with a knowing smile. In just three weeks Joanna had quickly caught on to just how close their group was.

"I guess that makes sense" Quinn relented, glancing at Puck, who nodded in agreement.

"That's everything today, you can always arrange another session after you've made your decision that is up to you" Joanna concluded as she rose from her seat. Quinn and Puck followed suit and each shook her hand.

"Thank you for everything Dr Matthews" Quinn said.

"My pleasure" Joanna smiled at the pair as she opened the door for them. Puck and Quinn walked out of the office and waited until they were outside before stopping and turning to each other.

"I guess it makes sense, the week of space thing" Puck argued. He could understand the concept of it, they both needed time to think about what they wanted and if it was still each other. They had both decided to fight for their marriage but they had to know when to stop fighting if it wasn't working.

"I agree, I'm sure Finn and Rachel will help us with NJ" Quinn said, with a smile.

"So, starting now we don't speak for a week" Puck said, looking down at his watch for no other reason than for something to do.

"Where should we meet when this is done?" Quinn wondered.

"How about 169 Bar?" Puck suggested with a shy smile. Quinn beamed at him, 169 Bar was the bar where they had meet almost four years before. Quinn sometimes forgot how sentimental Puck could be.

"Sounds good" Quinn agreed.

"I guess I'll see you in a week" Puck said, cautiously, swinging his arms back and forth suddenly nervous.

Quinn nodded "Yeah, I'll call Finn if I need anything"

"Bye" Puck said, leaning forward to give Quinn a sweet kiss "I love you"

"I love you too"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Saturday Afternoon**

After leaving the therapist's office, Quinn went straight over to Rachel's to pick up NJ but to also tell her friend about what had happened. Luckily Finn was out and all the children were settled so the women could sit down, with a cup of coffee so Quinn could talk to Rachel properly.

"So how do you feel about it all?" Rachel asked as she handed Quinn her drink before taking a seat next to Quinn on the sofa.

"I think it's a good idea. It will give us both time to really think about what we want" Quinn argued, earnestly. Rachel smiled at Quinn, she had noticed a difference in Quinn in the last few weeks and she was really glad that the therapy had at least got Quinn to open up more.

"I agree and Finn and I will help you any way we can" Rachel affirmed. Puck was still living with them so it wouldn't be too hard for Finn and Rachel to help move NJ between his two parents and Rachel was all for helping if it only had to last a week.

"Are you sure you're okay, you look exhausted" Quinn said, kindly, noting Rachel's tired eyes and the fact she was in her pyjamas at 4 in the afternoon. Quinn noticed that Mason was fast asleep in his bassinet next to Rachel.

"I am" Rachel agreed, with a tired smile as she held up her coffee mug "This is my fifth one today, I only let him sleep now because Rose threatened to put a pillow over him if he didn't shut up and I believed her"

"Where's Finn" Quinn wondered, finally realising that Finn was nowhere around.

"I had by hour earlier so he's having his now, I think we went to meet Noah for a drink" Rachel replied. Finn had received a text from Puck asking him to meet him for a drink at the same time that Rachel had gotten a call from Quinn to say she was dropping by. It didn't take either of them long to figure out what their friends wanted to talk about.

"Probably telling him the same thing I'm telling you" Quinn reasoned.

Rachel nodded, as Mason let out a cry "Probably"

 **McKinley Sports Bar and Grill – Park Avenue – Saturday Afternoon**

Like Rachel had thought, Finn and Puck were in a bar, enjoying a beer while Puck explained to Finn the idea of a week apart from Quinn, while Puck had not spoken to Quinn for two weeks when everything had happened, it felt strange to do now that they were trying to get back on track.

"A week away from each other" Finn mused, laughing as he took a sip of his beer "Sounds like a good idea for most marriages"

"You know me though, I'm not one to talk about my feelings" Puck argued, with a frustrated sigh. Finn gave his friend a sideways glance.

"You won't be, don't talk to anyone. This has to be about you, you don't have to talk to Quinn or me you just have to be honest with yourself" Finn reasoned.

"I'm not sure I can even do that" Puck replied, his eyes were fixed on the TV in front of him but he was waiting for Finn to reply.

"Trust me you can, we both know you love Quinn. And this isn't even about the cheating anymore this is just about if you two want to stay married to each other, if you love each other enough to work through everything else" Finn explained, Puck nodded slowly "And that's all I'm going to say because you're supposed to be working this out for yourself"

"Noted" Puck mused, as he took a drink of his beer, glancing up at the TV to see the scores for the day "So what's it like having three kids at home"

"It's great… its great" Finn nodded his head "It's great"

"One more and I might believe you" Puck quipped, giving Finn a once over, noting the rumbled shirt he had on as well as the bags under his eyes. Puck had stayed at a hotel for the first two weeks of Mason's life so he wasn't underfoot while his friends got used to a new baby but Rachel and Finn had been happy to have him back by the third week so they had a extra person to help them.

"It's bloody exhausting" Finn sighed heavily, leaning down in his seat as he took another drink of his beer.

"But great" Puck added, with a knowing smile. He knew there was nothing Finn loved more than being a father, he was also one of the best Puck knew.

Finn nodded, earnestly "But great"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Saturday Evening**

"Hey mom, dad wake up" Santana chuckled, shaking Finn and Rachel awake. Santana had let herself into the house to check on the Hudson's and she had found Rachel and Finn fast asleep on the sofa, Mason asleep in his bassinet while Rose and Henry watched TV. Santana had told Henry and Rose to play upstairs before she tried waking Rachel and Finn.

"What!" Rachel said, alarmed as she woke up suddenly "Santana what are you doing here"

"You were both asleep" Santana replied, Rachel looked around for her children "Don't worry they are all fine"

Rachel nodded, as she slowly sat up, shaking Finn awake as Santana walked over to Mason's bassinet.

"Why don't you both go up to bed for a bit, I can watch them while you get some sleep" Santana said, as she looked down at Mason who was sleeping peacefully. Rachel shook her head.

"You don't have to…"

"Rachel go to bed" Santana pressed, turning to her friend to give her a hard look. Finn stood up and took Rachel's hand to pull her up with him.

"Come on Rachel just an hour" Finn argued. Rachel nodded reluctantly then followed Finn out of the room and up the stairs.

"I'm sure this won't be that hard" Santana said, clapping her hands just as Mason started to cry from his bassinet.

 **XoXo**

An hour later, Santana had managed to keep Mason asleep (Rachel had told her he needed to stay awake but Santana couldn't handle a cranky baby) while entertaining Henry and Rose in their playroom. She was helping herself to a drink when Rachel walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, feeling better" Santana asked as she jumped up to sit on the counter as Rachel took a seat at the breakfast bar. Rachel still had bags under her eyes but she looked a lot better than she had an hour before.

"I don't feel like I'm going to fall down at any minute so that's something" Rachel replied as she leaned back in her seat "Finn's still asleep"

"You okay Rachel" Santana asked, while Rachel looked more awake Santana could see there was clearly something on her mind.

"What if I can't do this, what if I can't raise three kids" Rachel sighed, sadly. Santana jumped off the counter and walked over to Rachel.

"That's the stupidest thing you've ever said, you were born to be a mother Rachel. You're meant to be their mother" Santana affirmed, squeezing Rachel's hand "Nobody can do this like you and Finn. You just have to find your rhythm that's all"

"I hope you're right" Rachel relented, with a sigh.

"I am, I know bad parents and trust me you're not one of them" Santana argued, giving Rachel a hard look to agree. Rachel nodded slowly.

"Thank you"

"Look they are settled right now, why don't you go have a shower, kiss your husband and I'll order some food" Santana suggested.

"You're an angel" Rachel beamed, jumping up to hug Santana.

"I know; now go before I change my mind" Santana replied waving Rachel out the door. Rachel quickly left the kitchen and practically ran upstairs.

 **XoXo**

Two hours later, Rachel and Finn had both had a nap, had a shower, and changed into comfortable pyjamas. They spent some time together just the two of the cuddled in their room before deciding to go downstairs and check on their children.

They walked into the kitchen to find Rose and Henry sat at the breakfast bar while Santana dished them up some food, while Mason was laid out in his bassinet, not sleeping but thankfully not crying.

"Something smells good" Finn mused as he sat at the breakfast bar, next to Henry.

"Mac and cheese daddy" Rose beamed, through a mouth full of food.

"Guilty pleasure food" Santana said, as she passed him a plate. As well as Mac and Cheese, Santana had ordered Barbeque wings, mozzarella sticks and nachos, all the family's favourites.

"You two look better" Santana noted. Rachel and Finn were both freshly showered and in clean clothes, with smiles on their faces.

"We took a shower" Finn smirked at Santana. Rachel gave him a light slap on the chest as she took a plate from Santana.

"Urgh say no more" Santana groaned, holding up her hand to Finn "Let's eat"

The five of them enjoyed the guilty pleasure food while Mason slept. Rachel knew she should be worried that Mason wouldn't sleep later but she wanted to enjoy at least one quiet meal. Twenty minutes later they had eaten everything in sight, Mason had woken up but was thankfully not crying and Santana was getting ready to leave.

"I'm going to get going, maybe see my own wife today" Santana said as gathered up her things. Rachel passed Mason to Finn then followed her friend to the door way and gave her a tight hug.

"Thank you for today" Rachel said. Santana nodded at her with a smiled.

"Any time"

Once Santana had left, Rachel cleaned up while Finn helped the children finish their meals then they all moved into the living room.

"Who wants to watch a film" Finn asked.

"ME!" Rose cheered, throwing up her hands.

"I'll get the popcorn" Rachel said, walking back into the kitchen as Rose and Henry settled on the sofa.

Once Rachel had the popcorn and Finn had put the movie on, the family settled on the sofa, snuggling with each other.

"I think he likes the film daddy" Henry mused, looking down at her brother who had his eyes fixed on the TV, as he laid out on Finn's chest.

"I think he does" Finn agreed, wrapping his arm around Henry to pull him close. Henry settled in his father's arms, while Rose sat on her mother's lap.

"We can do this right" Rachel asked, looking over at Finn with a hint of doubt in her eyes.

Finn nodded, firmly "I have no doubt"

 **ONE WEEK LATER**

 **169 Bar – Central Park – Saturday Afternoon**

A week later, everyone in including the children were sat at the table at the back of the small bar. They were all waiting for Quinn and Puck to arrive. While Quinn and Puck hadn't said anything to them about their decision they all knew that they would both show up and they all wanted to see the reunion.

"Are your sure we should be here" Brittany asked, worried as she bounced NJ on her knee. The children were all distracted by a Disney movie on Finn's iPad and luckily for all of them Mason was asleep in his pram.

"Of course, we should. We deserve this reunion just as much as they do. Do you know how many hours we've all put in listening to them talk about each other" Santana reasoned, as she ran her fingers through Rose's curly hair, from where she was sat on her lap.

"It's almost four and neither of them are here, are you sure this is the time they were meeting" Mercedes asked, looking down at her phone for the sixth time in five minutes.

"Yeah, I had Finn double check with Puck" Rachel replied, as she glanced over to check on Mason.

"You don't think there's a chance they might not show up" Sam wondered, everyone instantly turned to glare at him.

"We don't need that kind of negativity at this table Sam" Santana snipped, pointing her finger at another table "Go sit over there!"

Sam looked over at Mercedes, who shrugged in reply. Sam let out a sigh and went to sit next to table near the window.

"Where are they, I don't feel right about having the kids in the bar" Finn reasoned, glancing at Rachel.

"Why not, if they are gonna hang around with us, they'll have to get used to it" Santana quipped, Finn rolled his eyes not bothering with a reply.

"Hey guys, you might want to take a look at this" Sam called to them all as he looked out of the window. The others walked over to Sam, taking the children with them.

"Whoo hoo, I knew it! They couldn't even make it inside" Mercedes cheered as they all continued to watch Quinn and Puck making out in front of the bar.


	14. 4x14 - Glee and The Wild Night

**4x14 – Glee and The Wild Night**

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 **Rachel and Finn's House - West Village – Tuesday Morning**

Finn walked into the kitchen to find Rose and Henry eating their breakfast while Rachel fed Mason as she tried to read her emails on her phone. Finn made himself some cereal then took a seat next to Henry at the breakfast bar. Since bringing Mason home two months ago, Rachel and Finn had finally found a rhythm to their lives with three children under five.

"Remember we have Rose's parent-teacher conference on Friday… oh and I spoke to the plumber about the downstairs bathroom and he's going to come on Thursday. You think you can be here for to let him in. I have a meeting with the school board that day" Finn explained as he munched on his Lucky Charms cereal.

"Yeah that should be fine" Rachel answered, not looking up from her phone. Mason banged his hand on his high chair getting Rachel's attention. She put down the phone and continued to feed him a yoghurt, the email from one of her Feature Editors would have to wait until she had feed her son. The family continued to eat their breakfast in relative silence for a few minutes.

"Did you manage to pick up my suits from the dry cleaners" Finn asked once he'd finished his cereal and dumped his bowl in the sink.

"No, I'll get them today, when I meet the girls for lunch" Rachel replied as she wiped Mason face before picking up and settling him on her hip. "Rose, Henry go get your bags, we have to leave soon"

Rose and Henry jumped off their seats and ran upstairs while Rachel fixed Mason into his carrier before putting on his shoes.

"Busy day at work?" Finn asked as he shrugged on his suit jacket, then took his briefcase out of the closet under their stairs.

"Yeah it the last day before the issues go to the publishers, so it will probably be a long day" Rachel replied. She handed Mason a cuddly toy that started putting on her heels and coat.

"That's okay, I'll get take out. You can just reheat it when you get home"

"Yeah sounds fine" Rachel replied as Rose and Henry ran back down the stairs, in their school jackets, their bags flying behind them. Henry had recently started at Dalton as well and just like Rose, he'd been loving every minute of it.

"Come on Mommy, time to learn" Rose cheered as she opened the front door. Finn turned to smirk at Rachel.

"I don't know who she gets this from" Finn argued, laughing but then he noticed a strange look on Rachel's face "Hey everything okay"

"Yeah everything fine" Rachel shook off, as she lifted Mason's carrier and passed him to Finn as the family walked out of the house and over to the Range Rover.

"Oh, I forgot, the kids have their dentist appointments on Friday as well, one of us is going to have to take them" Finn said as he secured Mason into the car while Rachel helped Rose and Henry into their booster seats.

Rachel let out a small dejected sigh "Yeah that should be fine"

 **The Diner – Park Avenue – Tuesday Afternoon**

A few hours later, Rachel was at the Diner having her usual weekly lunch with the girls. The only difference being that Quinn wasn't with them. Her and Puck had dropped NJ off at Puck's mothers for the week and they had gone on a second honeymoon to Mexico.

Rachel handed the menu to the waitress after giving her, her order then leaned back in her chair. She was thinking about the conversation she'd had with Finn that morning. Rachel couldn't remember the last time that her and Finn had talked about anything other than their children, work, or errands that they needed to run. She was started to worry that her and Finn were becoming a boring married couple.

"Rachel everything okay" Mercedes asked, when she noticed the far way look on Rachel's face. Rachel looked back at her friends with a worried look.

"Do you think Finn and I are boring?" Rachel asked.

"No of course not!"

"Yeah maybe" Santana jested. Mercedes gave her a hard look "I'm kidding. What the problem Rachel"

"I love my children, with all my heart but I don't want my marriage to only be about them. Finn and I need to be our own people but for the last few weeks I feel like we only talk about the bills or the kids or work" Rachel explained, frustrated. She took a drink of her tea as Mercedes and Santana shared a quick look.

"I'm sure that all couples feel that way after being married so long" Mercedes reasoned.

"I know but I don't want Finn and I to be one of those couples. I know it might sound terrible but I don't want to be like Noah and Quinn, I mean how they used to be and its started to feel like a slippery slope" Rachel ranted as she ran her hands through her hair.

"Then don't be! Go out just the two of you, live it up do all the things you haven't in a while. Remember what you were like before the kids came along" Santana agued. Rachel thought about it for a few beats before nodding her head.

"That's not a bad idea, have a date night. We could do it tomorrow… you could babysit" Rachel declared, looking at Santana who gaped at her. Mercedes suppressed a laugh.

"What! Why me!"

"Well Quinn and Noah are out of town and besides Brittany loves the kids. I'm sure she'd jump at the chance to look after them" Rachel said, with a pleading look when Santana didn't look convinced "Santana this is for my marriage… don't you want to help my marriage"

"Yeah Santana don't you want to help Finchel" Mercedes teased. Santana glared at her before turning back to Rachel who was holding her hands together in a plea.

"Fine!" Santana sighed heavily "But if they break anything then you're paying for it… and I don't mean with money"

"Thank you!" Rachel beamed, clapping her hands "This is just what we need, a little wining and dining, maybe some dancing or a walk through Central Park"

Santana gave Rachel a teasing look "You could save a lot of money and just have sex"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Tuesday Evening**

After a very long day at work trying to finalise everything for her latest issue, a very tired Rachel was working through her front door. She dumped her bag and coat by the front door and walked into the kitchen where Finn, Rose and Henry were eating their Chinese take-out at the breakfast bar.

"Hey, your home earlier than I thought, yours is in the oven. It should still be warm" Finn said through a mouth full of beef chow-mein. Rachel gave each of her children a kiss then took her dinner out of the oven and took a seat next to Finn.

"So, kids, you're having a sleepover at Auntie Sans tomorrow" Rachel said looking over at Rose and Henry both smiled back with a mouth full of food.

"And why are you trusting Santana with our children" Finn asked, glancing at Rachel.

"Because me and you are having a date night. We are going to go out, get drunk, spend a lot of money on a fancy meal" Rachel leaned over to whisper in Finn's ear "Then we are going to come home and have a lot of sex"

"That sounds awesome! What's brought this on" Finn wondered as he took Mason out of his highchair and sat him on his lap, when the baby started to fuss.

"I just think we need a night to ourselves. No work talk, no kids just me and you being irresponsible adults for the night" Rachel reasoned "I refuse to let us become a boring couple"

"Boring? Is everything okay? Is that what you were thinking about this morning" Finn asked, concerned. Rachel shook her head as she took a bite of her spring roll.

"Everything's fine, I just think we need a night to ourselves. No distractions, just us"

"That sounds good to me" Finn agreed, he leant over and gave Rachel a lingering kiss but pulled away when Henry and Rose started to boo them. Like most 5 and 3-year olds, they weren't big fans of seeing their parents kiss, especially while they are eating.

"Yep no distractions, is just what we need" Finn whispered to Rachel, giving her another kiss, ignoring the boo's coming from Rose and Henry and Mason trying to slap in hand on Finn's face.

 **Santana and Brittany's Apartment – Upper West Side – Wednesday Afternoon**

The next evening, while Rachel was getting ready Finn was dropping the children off at Santana and Brittany's apartment. While Finn trusted Santana, he was still a little apprehensive about leaving his three children with her overnight. While lugging two bags and Mason's carrier while Rose and Henry hung on his arms, Finn knocked on the door.

"Are the staying for one night or one week" Santana snipped, when she opened the door and saw the large bags Finn was carrying. She took the carrier from Finn and he followed her inside. She set the carrier on the coffee table in the living room as Brittany walked in to the living room from the bedroom.

"Hey guys, you ready to have a fun night with me and Auntie Sans!" Brittany cheered as Rose and Henry settled themselves on the sofa, they both nodded eagerly.

"Yeah we brought The Ladybug Game for us to play" Rose said. Brittany looked over at Santana, confused.

"What's the Ladybug Game"

Santana shook her head "I have no idea"

"It's a very tedious board game that you are going to hate" Finn injected, smirking at the pair. Santana rolled hr eyes at him as he set the two bags on the floor.

"Everything's in here that you'll need. Henry and Rose's uniform, diapers, and food for Mason. Remember they both have school tomorrow so they need to be in bed by 8, despite what Rose might say" Finn explained.

"Don't worry Finn, we've got this" Brittany promised, enthusiast. Santana just shrugged.

"We promise not to kill them"

Brittany glared at Santana "Ignore Santana, we have everything under control"

"Don't worry Brittany, I trust you and I trust that Santana is too afraid of my wife to let anything happen to my children" Finn quipped, giving Santana a hard look. "I'll be by at about 8 to take them to school"

"That's fine, just enjoy your night with Rachel. You kids are in the best hands. Besides its good practice for me and Santana" Brittany reasoned. She walked into the kitchen so she missed the wide-eyed look Finn had at her comment.

"I'd appreciate if you would ignore that comment" Santana whispered.

"None of my business" Finn replied, holding up his hands in defence before walking over to Rose and Henry "Okay kids, give me a kiss goodbye. I'll see you both in the morning"

"Bye Daddy" Rose and Henry both said and they sat up and gave their father a kiss on the cheek, before slumping back down on the sofa.

"I'll see you ladies later… good luck" Finn quipped before leaving the living room and walking out of the front door.

"So, what do you guys want to do first" Brittany asked as she walked back into the living room, handing Henry and Rose a juice box each. Rose immediately held up the ladybug board game just as Mason let out a loud cry that filled the apartment.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Wednesday, Late Afternoon**

Rachel was sat at her vanity finishing off her make up when there was a knock at the door. Finn was still out dropping the children off. So, she put her mascara down and walked down stairs. Rachel opened the door and was surprised to find Finn at the other side, holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Hey what are you doing, you forget your key" Rachel asked as she opened the door further to let Finn inside.

"No, I didn't forget my key, I'm here to pick you up for our date. These are for you" Finn said, handing Rachel the bouquet of Sunflowers, her favourite.

"You are without a doubt the cutest husband ever" Rachel gushed, standing on her tiptoes to give Finn a sweet kiss, careful not to squash the flowers.

"Why thank you, ready to go? Our reservation is in twenty minutes" Finn said. Rachel nodded as she moved into the kitchen to put the flowers in a vase.

"Yeah just need to get my shoes. Then the night is ours"

Twenty minutes later Rachel and Finn were being seated at Gosh! an Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village. The hostess handed them each a menu and wine list then left them alone. The looked over the menu for a few minutes before a waitress came over to take their drink order.

"This was a good idea Rachel, we needed a night just the two of us. The last few weeks have been about Mason or helping Quinn and Puck" Finn reasoned as a waitress poured them both a glass of wine.

"Well I am the smart one in a relationship" Rachel quipped, as she held up her wine glass "I suggest tonight we don't talk about our friends, kids or work – just the two of us"

"Agreed" Finn said before clicking his glass against Rachel's.

 **Santana and Brittany's Apartment – Upper East Side – Wednesday Evening**

"I'm going to kill Rachel, why did I agree to this" Santana groaned loudly as she looked at the scene before her. While Mason continued to cry in his carrier, Rose was running around the living room with one of Brittany's scarfs around her neck and lipstick on her face, and Henry was still playing The Ladybug Game, shouting out the instructions out, even though no one was listening.

"Are they normally like this?" Brittany wondered as she picked up Mason from his carrier to try and settle him. She opened one of the baby food jars Finn had brought over but when she tried to feed it to him, Mason spat it straight back out.

"I don't know, this is the first time they've stayed overnight. Rachel always seems to have them under control when we're out" Santana explained.

"Maybe we should call Finn and Rachel" Brittany suggested. She gave up on trying to feed Mason and tried to give him a bottle of milk instead, which thankfully started to settle him.

"No, they need this! And I will not be beaten by a 5-year-old" Santana argued, running her hands through her hair, frustrated. She jumped off the sofa and picked up Rose as she ran past her. Rose struggled against her aunt's tight grip as Santana fished her phone out of her back pocket.

"What are doing? I thought you said we shouldn't call Finn and Rachel" Brittany sighed as Mason started to cry again because he'd finished his milk.

"I'm not, I'm calling reinforcements" Santana said, as she put her phone between her ear and head as she was using both arms to keep Rose in place "Yeah Mercedes, get your arse over here"

 **Gosh! – Greenwich Village – Wednesday Evening**

"This wine is really good"

"Yeah, I've always like the house white here"

"How's your Pasta" Finn asked as he took another sip of his wine. Rachel had been at the restaurant for an hour and were on to their second course and unfortunately for them, they seemed to have run out of topics of conversation while finishing their starters.

"You've already asked me that… its good, I've always liked the food here" Rachel said, somewhat awkwardly before taking a bite of her pasta. Rachel hated that things felt so awkward between her and Finn, she was starting to worry that after so long being married that her and Finn were running out of things to talk about.

"Yeah, we've never had a bad meal here" Finn agreed, looking around at all the other couples sat in the restaurant. None of them seemed to be having a hard time talking.

"Except this one" Rachel whispered before dropping her fork on the table "This isn't working. Is this my fault, did I but too much pressure on tonight?"

"No of course not, just think not talking about Work or the kids or our friends doesn't leave us much left. That is our life" Finn reasoned. He reached across for Rachel's hand when he noticed the downcast look on her face.

"I know your right. I guess just for one night I wanted us to remember what we were like when we were young, before all the responsibility in our lives. I just wanted us to be Finn and Rachel" Rachel admitted.

"Well, what you thinking? Rachel and Finn the college years because if so 19-year-old Finn and Rachel wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this" Finn mused, with a slight smirk. Rachel looked at Finn with a confused look.

"What do you have in mind?"

 **Santana and Brittany's Apartment – Upper East Side – Wednesday Evening**

Twenty minutes later Mercedes walked into Santana and Brittany's apartment to find utter chaos. While Brittany and Santana cowered in the corner. Henry was jumping up and down on the sofa, Rose had taken Brittany's makeup and was colouring her face and clothes with it, while Mason continued to scream from where he was laid out on his play mat.

"Are you guys serious! How did you let things get this bad?" Mercedes asked as she walked over to the disgruntled pair.

"Don't blame us, Rachel and Finn obviously didn't tell us that their children were monsters" Santana argued, waving her hand at the children.

"Actually, Rachel was complaining just last week that Rose and Henry had been acting out recently and she thought it was because Mason was taking up a lot of their time" Mercedes explained, with a knowing look. Brittany lightly smacked Santana on the arm.

"You really need to start listening to your friends Santana!"

"There is only so much I can hear about baby colic before I automatically tune out" Santana quipped. Mercedes and Brittany rolled their eyes before turning back to the children "So what do we do now. We can't call Finn and Rachel, they clearly need this night off"

"We have to lay down the law" Mercedes mused. She moved into the living room and stood in front of Henry. She put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look "Henry Hudson if you don't stop bouncing on that sofa then I'm going to call your mother and make sure you don't watch Spiderman for a month"

Henry immediately stopped bouncing and gaped at Mercedes. Mercedes gave him another hard look so Henry slumped down on sofa and crossed his arms but remained silent. Mercedes looked over at Santana and Brittany.

"Your turn"

Santana walked over to Rose, she picked up Rose and moved her over to the kitchen counter and sat her down on it. Rose crossed her arms and gave her Santana an almost smug look.

"Listen up Mini Rachel, you better start behaving or I'll make sure that you never get another cookie for the rest of your life" Santana threatened, staring Rose down. The room was silent for a few moments as Rose and Santana kept staring at each other.

"Or you give me a cookie and I won't tell my daddy that Mason ate a lipstick" Rose mused. Santana, Mercedes, and Brittany all turned to Mason, who had somehow managed to get a hold of the lipstick and was close to putting it in his mouth.

"Crap!"

 **Roof NYU Dorm Building – West Village– Wednesday Night**

After leaving the restaurant, Rachel and Finn went to the local market to pick up some supplies then got a cab over to Greenwich Building of the NYU Dorms. They snuck in the building and went straight up to the roof, thankful that nobody else seemed to be around.

"This place looks exactly the same" Rachel mused as she looked around the rooftop. It still had the same old couches and barbeque pits as well as the make shift bar, Finn and his college friends had made in their second year.

Back when Rachel and Finn started dating, Rachel didn't have a lot of money and she refused to let Finn pay for every date so instead the couple would by the cheapest bottles of wine they could find, along a bag full of Twinkies and go up to the roof of Rachel's dorm as it had the best view of the Hudson River and nobody else seemed to go up there, so they could truly be alone.

"I don't if that's such a good thing, it's been 15 years" Finn quipped as he threw a blanket over one of the sofas, then started taking out the wine and Twinkies. He opened the plastic cups that they had brought at the market and poured then both some wine.

"God, don't remind me. Feels like on 2 minutes ago, that we were up making out on that couch" Rachel laughed. She took the plastic cup from Finn and took a seat next to Finn on the sofa.

"And now we're sneaking kisses in the few hours that are children are asleep" Finn sighed as he took a drink of the wine. Now that he knew what more expensive wine tasted like, it didn't have the same sweet taste.

"I don't regret one second of our life together Finn. I just think that we need to spend more time just the two of us, having fun together without worrying about our friends, the kids or work" Rachel explained as she snuggled into Finn's side. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"You're right Rachel, and I promise we will. How about once a month, we force our friends to babysit and we come here and relive our youth" Finn suggested. Rachel took the plastic cup from Finn and dropped it on the floor then swung her leg across Finn so that she was straddling his lap. She put her hands on either side of his face and pulled him in for a searing kiss. Finn put his hands on either side of Rachel's legs and pulled her closer to him. They two continued to kiss for a few minutes before Rachel pulled away.

"I just want you to know how much I love you, you are the best husband" Rachel said, softly as she stroked Finn's face "I don't want you to think I'm unhappy with my life, I promise it's the opposite"

"I know Rachel. I'm not gonna complain that my wife wants to spend more time with me, without those misbehaving kids we've got at home" Finn mused. Rachel nodded her head before leaning it on Finn's shoulder.

"Tell me about it, does it sound bad that we wanted a night away from our kids" Rachel wondered as she wrapped her arms around Finn's neck.

"No, we deserve a night to ourselves. Do you think we should have warned Brittany and Santana about how much Rose and Henry have been acting up?"

"No, it would serve Santana right for tuning out whenever I talk about the kids" Rachel reasoned. She moved her head of Finn's shoulder and looked in right in the eyes "You know I've had a great idea… remember how we always said we wanted to sneak into the Hilton pool after hours, but we never had the guts to do it"

"Are you suggesting we do it now" Finn wondered, raising his eyebrow at her.

"Why not, what better way than to relive our youth than do the one thing we were always afraid to do" Rachel argued. Finn thought about it for a few moments before smiling at Rachel.

"Lead the way"

 **Santana and Brittany's apartment – Upper East Side – Wednesday Night**

"Are you sure it's not time for bed" Brittany asked looking down at Henry and Rose from where they were sat next to her on the sofa. Both children were behaving better but they were now refusing to go to sleep. They had told the adults that they didn't like the bed in the spare and they would only go to sleep with their mommy and daddy there. Brittany, Santana, and Mercedes were too tired to think up a plan to get them to sleep.

"Where are mommy and daddy?" Henry asked, looking up at Brittany. Santana and Mercedes shared a quick smile before looking back at Brittany, it was the fifth time in the last hour that Henry had asked.

"Your mommy and daddy won't be here until the morning and I know they won't be happy that you are both tired when you go to school" Brittany said, kindly. Henry and Rose looked at each other for a few moments before both shaking their head.

"Nope, we're going to wait for Mommy and Daddy" Henry replied before turning back to the TV where the group were watching Moana (at Rose's request). Brittany looked over at Mercedes and Santana and nodded her head at the kitchen. Mercedes checked on a sleeping Mason in his travel crib before following Santana and Brittany into the kitchen.

"What are we going to do? Finn and Rachel are going to kill us if we don't get them two to sleep" Brittany said, alarmed waving her hand at the two children on the sofa, both completely unaware of the frustration they were causing.

"They might understand, they obviously needed a night out because of Rose and Henry acting up. We're not parents like them, they were probably expecting this to happen" Santana shrugged. Mercedes and Brittany didn't seem as convinced.

"I'm sure they expected us to make them sleep, its already midnight!" Mercedes argued. Before anyone could respond, Santana's phone started to ring, she quickly picked it up before the noise woke Mason.

"Hello… where are you calling from?... are you serious? Yeah, I'll be right there" Santana disconnected the call then looked at Mercedes and Brittany "No need to worry, Rachel and Finn aren't going to say a word about what we let happen here tonight"

Brittany narrowed her eyes at her "And why's that"

"That was Rachel on the phone, she needs me to pick them up. Rachel and Finn were just arrested for trespassing"

 **13** **th** **Precinct – Greenwich Village – Wednesday Night**

"Well, well now this is just something I never thought I'd never see" Santana laughed as she looked over at Rachel and Finn who were sat behind the bars at the Greenwich police station. Santana pulled out her phone and took a few photos of the married couple as they both glared at her "These are my new favourite photos. You two are parents, you should set a better example for those children of yours"

"Very funny Santana can you get us out of here or not" Rachel snipped, running her hands through her still wet hair. When Rachel and Finn had been caught, they had been in just their underwear. Luckily for them the security guard had let them put their clothes on before he called the police.

"Luckily for you, the arresting officer is an old friend of mine, don't tell Brittany, and he's agreed to let you go and I've spoken to the manager of the hotel and they said they won't press charges as long as there is a nice article about their hotel in your next issue" Santana explained, as a police officer unlocked the bars to let Rachel and Finn out.

"My magazine is about Broadway" Rachel sighed as she followed Santana over to the police man's desk.

"I'm sure you'll think of something… now if you just sign these papers, we can be on our way" Santana mused, happily. Rachel and Finn sighed the papers as the police officer opening checked Santana out.

"You should call me some time Santana" The Police Officer said, smiling seductively at her. Santana held up her hand to show her wedding ring.

"I'm married, to a woman. Now let's go felons" Santana jested before striding out of the building with Finn and Rachel following behind.

While Santana tried to hail them a taxi, Finn wrapped arm around Rachel and pulled her close, Rachel snuggled into his arms and gave him a quick kiss.

"So, what did you think to our little misadventure" Finn wondered smiling down at Rachel. They had actually been having a good time at the pool. They had been totally alone and if the security guard had come just a few minute later, it would have been very embarrassing for everyone involved.

"I had a great night, and hey we can mark something off our bucket list – getting arrested while half naked and dripping wet" Rachel joked. Finn smiled at her dipping his head to give her a sweet kiss. Rachel quickly responded despite the protests coming from Santana.

"I love you"

"I love you too" Rachel whispered back before giving him another kiss.

"Come on love birds, you have two monsters to deal with" Santana shouted at them from the waiting cab. Rachel gave Finn one last kiss before the both got in the taxi.

 **Santana and Brittany's Apartment – Upper East Side – Early Thursday Morning**

Twenty minutes later Santana, Rachel and Finn were walking into the apartment to see Mercedes and Brittany were both asleep on the sofa while, Rose and Henry sat on the floor watching a movie, with Mason asleep on the floor between them.

"Glad to see I left my children in such capable hands" Finn snipped as he walked into the living room and picked up Mason, while Santana shook Mercedes and Brittany awake.

"You do remember you got arrested tonight right" Santana quipped as she took a seat on the sofa and cuddled into Brittany. Finn just rolled his eyes as he took a seat on the lounge chair with Mason in his arms. Rachel sat down on the floor and Rose and Henry climbed into her lap.

"We're so glad you're here Mommy, can we go home now?" Rose asked, batting her eyelashes at Rachel.

"Don't bat those lashes at me young lady, Auntie Sans told me what you two have been like tonight. You owe your aunties an apology" Rachel reprimanded, giving Rose a pointed look. Rose moved off her mother's lap and climbed up the sofa.

"I'm sorry Auntie Sans, Auntie Cedes" Rose apologised, she leaned across Santana to look at Brittany "Sorry Auntie Britt"

Brittany beamed back at Rose. That was the first time Rose or any of the children had called Brittany auntie, and unbeknownst to them it was all she wanted to hear.

"That's okay Rose" Brittany replied.

"Now you and Henry can clean up all this mess before we go home" Rachel said looking between both her children "Move it!"

Rose and Henry both immediately jumped up and started cleaning up the makeup and board game they had scattered around the apartment. While the others settled in to watch the movie Brittany leaned down so she could whisper in Rachel's ear.

"You have to teach me how you did that"

Rachel gave a small smile before she cuddled into Finn's side. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"That was so hot… the things I'm gonna do to you when we get home…" Finn whispered, sending a shiver down Rachel's spine before she leaned up to give him a searing kiss, ignoring the boo's that were coming from Santana and Mercedes and the 'gross' that Henry gave them.


	15. 4x15 - Glee and The Emergency

**Hey Guys :)**

 **Thank you for the lovely reviews, This story has 5 episodes left and I would for it to get to 100 reviews before then :)**

 **Happy Reading**

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 **4x15 – Glee and The Emergency**

* * *

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Tuesday Morning**

"Rose, we have to leave in two minutes you better be ready" Rachel demanded as she rushed into the kitchen with Mason on her hip and Henry running in behind her, with his uniform untucked and his shoes in his hands. Rachel was on her own getting the children ready for school because Finn had an early meeting, and like every time Rachel was on her own, she was running late.

"Mommy I don't feel well; my tummy feels weird" Rose moaned holding her stomach tightly as she pouted at her mother. Rachel tried to her best not to let out a sigh. Rose had been playing up ever since they had brought Mason home and Rachel knew this was just another way that Rose was trying to get attention.

"Rose, you're going to school, I promise we will do something fun at the weekend" Rachel argued as she helped Henry put on his school shoes with Mason still in her arms trying to pull her hair.

"Mommy I really don't feel well" Rose pressed, giving her mother a pleading look.

"Rose, I don't have time for this, go get your shoes and coat so we can leave" Rachel snapped, giving Rose a hard look. Rose grumbled then jumped off her chair before stomping upstairs, making sure her mother knew she wasn't happy with her. Rachel shook her head and went back to the task at hand.

Rachel finished helping Henry with his shoes then put Mason in his carrier, ready to get in the car. She cleared away the things from breakfast while listening to Rose stomp around upstairs. Rachel knew Rose wasn't happy with the extra attention that Mason was getting from Rachel and Finn but neither of them knew what to do to make it better.

Eventually Rose came back downstairs in her coat and shoes, ready to leave. As the group made their way to the car, Rose refused to look at her mother, even as Rachel strapped her into her car seat. Rachel would normally have been upset that her daughter was ignoring her, but they were already late for school, so Rachel decided to deal with it later.

"Okay let's get you guys to school" Rachel exclaimed as she got into the driver's seat and pulled out into the road.

"I don't want to go school mommy! I don't feel well, my tummy aches" Rose moaned, frantically moving around in her bumper seat as she tried to undo her seat belt.

"Rose, that is enough! I'm not listening, you are going to school" Rachel yelled, bringing the children to silence. Rachel and Finn tried to never raise their voices, but Rachel was at the end of the line with Rose's behaviour.

"I HATE YOU!" Rose yelled back at her mother before crossing her arms and moving to look out of the window.

Rachel kept her eyes ahead of the road so none of her children would see the tears in her eyes.

 **The Diner – Park Avenue – Tuesday Afternoon**

Three hours later Rachel was sat in the diner with Santana, waiting on Quinn and Mercedes to arrive. Rachel had been really busy at work, but she had still spent all morning thinking about what Rose had said. Rachel knew he daughter didn't really mean what she said but that didn't mean that the words hadn't hurt Rachel deeply.

"Hey Rach, you okay? You seem a million miles away" Santana noted, giving Rachel a pressing look. Rachel quickly shook her head as she took a drink of her sweet tea.

"Yeah everything's fine, just one of those day"

"Wanna talk about it" Santana asked, she could clearly see something was going on with Rachel that had more to do with than just a bad day at work.

"Not really" Rachel sighed, leaning back in her chair dejected.

"So, can I ask you something" Santana asked, suddenly nervous "Did Finn mention anything to you about something, that Brittany may have…"

"You mean about you too having a baby, yeah he told me" Rachel quipped, rolling her eyes. Finn had told her the about Brittany's comment and about Santana not wanting anyone to know so Rachel had decided not to mention until Santana did.

"It wasn't so much that we are having a baby, just that we are thinking about it" Santana argued, looking away when Rachel gave her a unamused look.

"Pretty much the same thing" Rachel mused "I thought you didn't ever want to have children"

"I don't" Santana admitted, ashamed.

"This isn't going to end well Santana. I'm not going to get in involved but your smart to know this is only going to end one way" Rachel acknowledged. Santana nodded her head slowly but before she could respond Rachel's phone started ringing.

"Hello? This is she…. What! Is she okay, yeah I'm on my way" Rachel ended the call then quickly jumped up from her seat, grabbing her coat and bag with her.

"Rachel what's going on?" Santana asked, following after Rachel once she had dumped some money on the table for their drinks.

"Rose had collapsed at school, they've taken her to hospital" Rachel rushed out, worried. She got outside then took a deep breath to steady herself. Santana took her hand as she hailed for a cab.

"Hey guys what's going on" Quinn asked, walking over to the pair, with Mercedes, immediately noticing the distressed look on Rachel's face. Instead of answering Santana ushered the all into the waiting cab.

"Come on we have to get to the hospital."

 **Lenox Health Centre – East Village – Tuesday Afternoon**

Twenty minutes later Rachel was rushing into the hospital with Santana, Mercedes, and Quinn. She ran over to the nurse's station and slammed her hands on the desk.

"My daughter was brought in, where is she" Rachel exclaimed, giving the nurse a demanding look. The nurse not fazed by Rachel's demand pulled something up on her computer.

"What is your daughter's name"

"Rose Hudson, where is she, is she okay" Rachel cried. Quinn moved closer to her and put her arm around Rachel as she they waited for the nurse.

"I'll take you to Rose now, and page the doctor to come talk to you" The nurse explained. She moved from behind the desk and Rachel and the others followed her through the hospital. They reached the private hospital room and Rachel rushed over to her daughter who was laid out on the bed. Rose was hooked up to an IV, and it was clear she was sweating through a fever with only her knickers and vest on. Rose immediately started crying when she saw her mother.

"Mommy! I want to go home" Rose cried holding out her hands for Rachel. Rachel picked up Rose, careful not to disturb the IV in Rose's hand.

"It's gonna be okay Sweetie, it's all going to be okay" Rachel soothed as she rocked Rose in her arms.

"Where's the doctor!" Santana demanded looking over at the nurse.

"She's on her way. We think that Rose had got an infection due to the Lupus Nephritis she had when she was born" The nurse explained. While still holding her daughter Rachel span round to face the nurse.

"Lupus Nep-what, what are talking about?" Rachel demanded, while she stroked Rose's hair. She sat on the bed and moved Rose into her lap.

"I think it would be best to speak to the doctor" The nurse replied, once she realised the mistake she had made. Santana rolled her eyes at the nurse before turning to Quinn.

"Have you spoken to Puck?" Santana asked. They had tried calling Finn on the way to the hospital, but he was in meetings all day and wasn't answering so Quinn had tried to get a hold of Puck, so that he could tell him.

"Yeah, he managed to get Finn from his meeting, they are on their way" Quinn replied, quietly as she watched Rachel and Rose. It was clear how much pain Rose was in and how much pain Rachel was in, watching her daughter helplessly.

"Hello, Mrs Hudson, I'm Dr Andrews, I'm the doctor assigned to your daughter case" Dr Andrews explained as she walked into the room. She picked up Rose's chart then walked over to the machine connected to the IV in Rose's hand.

"What' wrong with my daughter"

"It seems that the Lupus Nephritis Rose had at birth has caused an infection in Rose's kidneys, this can be quite common and something that needs to be monitored but because Rose hasn't had any symptoms since it happened at birth, I can see why its been missed. We have started her on some antibiotics to get rid of the infection and we will be monitoring it closely" Andrews explained, she then noticed the confused expression on everyone's faces "I assume that you didn't know about the Lupus"

"What tipped you off" Santana quipped, annoyed.

"Rose was adopted when she was 3, Rachel and Finn didn't get any medical history, how do you know this" Quinn asked. She decided to take charge of the situation until Finn arrived because Rachel was busy comforting her daughter and Santana was a minute away from yelling at the nurse and doctor.

"We did a X Ray and blood work on Rose when she was first brought in. While we are not 100% sure, it is the most likely scenario" Andrews explained calmly, looking towards Quinn instead of at Santana who was glaring at the young doctor "Do you having any way of contacting the birth parents?"

"Why would we need to do that Rachel and Finn are Rose's parents" Mercedes injected, glancing over at Rachel, who was ignoring all of them as she soothed her daughter.

"Of course, they are!" Andrews agreed, firmly "However if Rose's condition gets any worse she may be looking at a kidney transplant"

 **Outside Rose's Hospital Room – Lennox Medical Centre – Tuesday Afternoon**

Half an hour later, Quinn, Mercedes, Santana, Puck, Sam, and Brittany were sat outside Rose's hospital room waiting for Rachel and Finn who were once again talking to the doctor about Rose's condition. The antibiotics weren't working as well as the doctors wanted them too and Rose still had a very high fever and was in a lot of pain. None of them could stand to see Rose in so much pain, or see Rachel and Finn struggling so much.

Puck looked around at everyone, they were all struggling, not sure what to do. They all wanted to help Rachel, Finn, and Rose but none of them knew how to do that. Rachel and Finn were their glue and when they fell apart, so did everyone else. Puck looked around at them all one last time before deciding it was time someone stepped up.

"Okay, enough of this. We need to be helping Rachel and Finn" Puck said, firmly as he stood up. They all looked at him to continue. "Okay first things first Santana can you get a hold of Lydia, we might end up needing her"

Santana nodded, then got up and marched off, her phone in her hand. Quinn watched Puck proudly as he continued.

"Next Brittany, get over to Rachel and Finn's house. They are gonna need some toiletries and stuff and maybe some toys and all that crap to cheer Rose up a little bit"

"Got it Boss" Brittany teased, saluting Puck before she got up to leave.

"Sam you go get us all some food and something to drink, we are going to be here a while and Rachel and Finn need to eat" Puck turned to Quinn and Mercedes once Sam had left "I'm going to call Rachel and Finn's family, as well as Tina and let them all know what's going and you too should collect the kids, maybe bring them here so Rachel and Finn can see Mason and Henry then find someone to watch them as well as NJ"

Quinn walked up to Puck and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek before following Mercedes out of the hospital.

Puck nodded his head, pleased with himself "Okay I think I got this"

 **Rose's Room – Lennox Medical Centre – Tuesday Afternoon**

"I think she finally went to sleep" Rachel noted as she lightly brushed Rose's hair out of her face. Doctor Andrews had given Rose some mild pain killers and it had thankfully helped Rose go to sleep. Rachel wasn't sure how much longer she could see her daughter be in so much pain.

"When did the doctor say they were going to do another scan" Finn asked as he sat down next to Rachel, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

"In an hour" Rachel sighed. She leaned her head on Finn's shoulder and continued to watch Rose sleep "Rose told me she hated me this morning"

"What?" Finn moved away from Rachel, so he could turn and face her "Why did that happen?"

"She was telling me that she didn't feel well but I thought she was just trying to act up again like she has been doing and I got angry and she told me she hated me" Rachel cried softly "What if this is my fault Finn. Rose was feeling bad this morning and I did nothing Finn, I did nothing!"

"Rachel this isn't your fault, this was out of our control. Rose was always going to get poorly but she's now in the best place" Finn reasoned, he wrapped both his arms around Rachel and kissed the top of her head. "I wonder where everyone has gone?"

"No clue, I'm sure they're around somewhere" Rachel mused, cuddling into Finn, lost in thought as she continued to watch Rose.

"Everything is going to be okay Rachel" Finn reaffirmed. He could tell by the look on Rachel's face that she was still blaming herself for what was happening to Rose.

Rachel looked at Finn with apprehensive eyes "You promise"

"Have I ever let you down" Finn mused with a small smile. Rachel laughed humourlessly and gave Finn a quick kiss.

"Nope, never"

 **Rose's Hospital Room – Lennox Centre – Tuesday Afternoon**

Thirty minutes later, the atmosphere in Rose's room had completely changed. Rose was now awake, but the pain seemed to have settled so she was watching an episode of Charlie and Lola on Finn's iPad, while Sam put out all the food and drinks, that he brought from the deli near the hospital, on the table in the corner. Quinn and Brittany were unpacking everything that Brittany had collected form Finn and Rachel's house and Mercedes was trying to entertain NJ and Henry, who had first been concerned that Rose wasn't feeling well but were now bored. Puck and Santana were still outside making their phone calls.

"How you feeling, Sweetie" Rachel asked Rose as she wiped the young girl's hair from her sweaty forehead. While Rose was feeling a little better, she still had a high fever.

"Much better, maybe I could go home now" Rose wondered looking up at her mother who was sat behind her on the small hospital bed. Rachel shared a quick look with Finn, who was sat near them, with Mason on his lap. they both knew Rose wouldn't be going home that day.

"Yeah maybe Sweetie, we'll have to wait to see what the doctor says" Rachel replied before wrapping both her arms around Rose and pulling her into her lap. Rose snuggled into her mother's embrace as she counited to watch her TV show.

"Here Rose, I brought you Belle from home" Brittany stated as she handed Rose her favourite teddy bear- her build-a-bear Belle from Beauty and The Beast – from home. Rose quickly snatched up her favourite doll and beamed at Brittany.

"Thank you, Aunt Britt" Rose smiled, before going back to the iPad. Eventually everyone settled down in the small room, while there wasn't much space they all managed to find somewhere to sit as the ate the snacks Sam had bought while either listening to Henry and NJ tell them about their days or watch another episode of Charlie and Lola while crowded around Rose's bed. None of them knew what to do but they knew they didn't want to leave.

"I've spoken to everyone of your twos family members and let me tell what a treat that was" Puck stated, sarcastically as he marched into the room and took a seat next to Quinn "I've told them I'd keep them all updated and that they should call me instead of you guys, so at least you won't have to deal with them"

"Thanks Puck" Finn replied, earnestly. He knew what it was like dealing with his and Rachel's families and he was grateful his friend had stepped up when they needed him. Puck just shrugged in reply, but Finn knew his appreciation had been noted.

"Wow looks like we have a party going on here" Dr Andrews quipped as she walked into the crowded hospital room. They all knew they shouldn't really be there but none of them were going to leave until Finn or Rachel told them too. "Do you think you can all step in the hallway while I check on Rosie here"

Without another word, the group quickly left the room taking Mason, NJ, and Henry with them leaving just Finn, Rachel, and Rose with the doctor. Andrews pulled the curtain across so no one could see inside the room then moved over to Rose bed and asked her to lay flat. Rose handed the iPad to Finn then did as the doctor asked.

"Now does it still hurt when I press there" Andrews asked as she lightly pressed down on Rose's stomach. Rose curled up and nodded her head, while Rachel and Finn looked on, sadly. "Okay I'm just going to check your temperature and then you can do back to watching your film"

Doctor Andrews checked Rose's temperature, wrote something down in her file then turned back to Finn and Rachel. Sensing the doctor wanted to talk Finn handed Rose back the iPad then the three of them moved over to the door.

"The antibiotics seemed to be working but not at the rate that we would like, I'm afraid for now we still need to monitor the infection and manage Rose's pain" Andrews explained to the worried parents.

"But you said it was working though, isn't that a good thing" Rachel asked, helplessly. Finn mirrored her expression as he pulled her close.

"For the time being yes, but it's still too soon to tell. If things haven't improved by morning, then we may have to revisit the transplant option"

Doctor Andrews explained everything to Rachel and Finn again about what to except if Rose had a transplant, but Rachel was barely paying attention as she watched her daughter lay out on the hospital bed as she played with her father's iPad. There wasn't anything Rachel wouldn't do for her children, but she hated that they might have to rely on Lydia or Jimmy to help save Rosie's life.

"I'll come back in an hour to check on her again and I'll have a nurse bring in another bed for you all, as I assume you'll be staying the night"

Finn nodded lamely "Yes thank you doctor"

Rachel went back to Rose's bed as Doctor Andrews left. Fin picked up a bottle of water and a sandwich from the table and handed it to Rachel as a gentle reminder that they needed to stay as strong as possible for Rose.

"I'm gonna send the others home, there's no point them being here" Finn reasoned. Rachel nodded as she sat down on the bed and pulled Rose onto her lap.

"Yeah, I think that a good idea, but I want to keep Mason and Henry with us, I need all my babies here"

Finn nodded in reply went out into the hallway while Rachel settled on the bed with Rose.

"Hey guys" Finn said softly. The all jumped up when they saw Finn and marched over to him. He took Mason from Sam while Henry wrapped himself around his father's leg "The doctor said nothing more is going to happen tonight, they are going to decide in the morning if Rose needs the transplant, so you guys can take off"

"You sure Finn, we can stay for whatever you guys need" Quinn said, earnestly.

"No really its fine, we have everything we need, we'll keep you updated but really we'll be okay" Finn replied. While he could tell no of them liked the idea of leaving, they would still do it for him.

"Call us if you need anything okay" Puck affirmed, affectionately slapping Finn on the back. The all said a quick goodbye to the worried father and began to leave while Santana stayed back to talk to him.

"I've left a message with Lydia parents they are going to talk to her and get back to me as soon as possible" Santana explained, Finn nodded not sure what else to say. "If she needs a transplant Finn, I will do everything in my power to make Lydia or Jimmy help"

While they could ask Lydia and Jimmy for help, neither of them had to say yes. Rose was no longer their child and they were under no obligation to help her, but Finn just prayed there was some humanity left in them that they would want to.

"I know you will Santana"

Santana gave Finn a tight hug before following the others while Finn went back into Rose's hospital room with Henry and Mason in his arms.

 **Outside Rose's Hospital Room – Lennox Centre – Wednesday Morning**

The next morning Santana and Brittany were walking to Rose's room to see all their friends already there, and they could quickly see the mood, wasn't a good one. Finn was talking to them, his eyes filling with tears while Puck held Quinn and Mercedes and Sam were holding hands.

"What's going on?" Santana asked softly once she had approached her friends. Finn wiped the tears from his eyes and straightened himself up.

"Rose didn't have a good night, the infection is worse, and the doctor says that she needs the transplant" Finn explained, worried and tired. It clearly been a long night for the father and it was only getting worse. "Lydia was here early this morning, she had a blood test and… and…"

"She's not a match, the transplant wouldn't work" Puck concluded when Finn couldn't. Once Lydia's had received Santana's message, she had gone straight to the hospital to do the blood test on the off chance that Rose would need it, and while it was a definite that Rose needed the transplant, Lydia couldn't help them.

"What does that mean then?" Brittany asked.

"I have no idea" Finn sighed, helplessly as he ran his hands through his hair. He glanced over at window in Rose's room to see all three of his children still asleep in the small hospital bed with Rachel watching over them.

"I'll put a call in to Jimmy's father's lawyer, we might be able to come to an arrangement for him to do the transplant, a judge would have to agree but I'll make it happen Finn, I promise" Santana exclaimed already taking out her phone. While Finn went back into Rose's hospital room to talk to Rachel, Santana moved away from the group as she rang her assistant to ask him to find Jimmy's lawyer's number.

"Yeah just get back as soon as you have the number, I'm going over to the prison now, I need you to find out who the judge and district attorney on Jimmy's case was, okay thank you Ryder" Santana put down her phone then noticed Brittany sat in front of her "Hey I'm going to head to the prison, you stay here, and I'll keep everyone posted"

"Santana be careful okay, I don't want you …"

"Brittany don't start okay. Rachel and Finn need me to do this for them" Santana cut in, trying to keep her anger in check she didn't want another lecture with Brittany about how hard she worked to help her friends.

"Okay" Brittany held her hands up in surrender "Just let me know how it goes"

The two walked back over to the others who had were all sat down now, outside Rose's room.

"Hey guys I'm going over to the prison to talk to the warden about what's going on, I'll keep you guys posted" Santana explained, reaching for her phone when she saw that Ryder was calling her back. She gave one last wave to her friends before marching down the corridor. She had just reached the end of the hall when she heard someone calling her name.

"Lopez, wait up" Puck called as she jogged to catch up to her "I'm coming with you"

"Why exactly" Santana asked as she listened to Ryder give her a long explanation about Jimmy's lawyer.

Puck shrugged, as they walked out of the hospital "Because I'm taking over for Finn and we both know he'd been there"

 **Rikers Island Correctional Centre – Warden's Office – Wednesday Morning**

An hour later Puck and Santana were in the Warden's office, waiting for Jimmy and his lawyer to finish talking in another room. Santana had explained everything to the warden and he had been more than willing to give Jimmy a day pass for the day to have to test done, as long as two guards accompanied him at all time, all the had to do was convince Jimmy, which his lawyer had been doing for the last ten minutes.

"Why is this taking so long, shouldn't Jimmy want to help her, she is his blood after all" Puck whispered, annoyed, turning to Santana so the Warden couldn't hear them.

"I have a feeling Jimmy is going to ask for something, the longer they take the more worried I am"

"Who would have to agree to Jimmy's demands" Puck asked but before Santana could answer Jimmy's Lawyer Fred Lodge walked back into the office. Santana had fought against Fred a few times and she knew how devious he could be.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Warden but Jimmy has a few demands before he agrees to this operation" Fred explained, he fastened the top button on his suit jacket then turned to Santana "If Jimmy agrees to the test then he wants his poral hearing to be moved forwards to 5 months for now"

"Jimmy doesn't have poral for a year" The Warden injected.

"This is a very noble and brave thing Jimmy will be doing for his daughter and he thinks he should get something in return" Fred reasoned, smiling smugly. Santana rolled her eyes as Puck slapped his hand on the arm rest.

"Are you serious, we're talking about a little girl's life and this idiot actually has demands, he deserves nothing" Puck said, enraged, shaking his head.

"Without him, this little girl you all care so much about might die, while you're here arguing about it"

You little – "Santana but her hand on Puck's in warning. She wanted nothing more than to hit Fred because of his comment but she knew it wouldn't help anyone.

"The district attorney would have to agree, as well as the judge" Santana said.

Fred shrugged, looking between the warden and Santana "Let's hope you're convincing then"

The warden quickly patched through a conference call between them and the judge and district attorney. Santana explained to them the current situation and while they were both sympathetic they weren't keen on letting a known criminal out on the streets.

"I know this goes against what we all believe in and I don't want Jimmy out on the streets any more than you do but if we don't do this, then my niece could get much worse… she could die. She doesn't deserve that and neither do her parents" Santana lectured, leaning on her hands on the Warden's desk and she spoke into the speakerphone. Everyone was silent for a few minutes as the Judge and Attorney thought things over.

" _Okay we agree to poral in 5 months, on the condition that Jimmy had no other issues while in prison" The_ judge eventually said. Puck and Santana let out a sigh of relief as they finished off the call with the Judge while the warden made arrangement for Jimmy to be taken over to the hospital.

"Jimmy should be there within the hour, I'll arrange everything. You two get back to the hospital" The warden explained, kindly to Puck and Santana. The two began to leave and as they walked past Fred, Puck stopped to face the lawyer.

"You better pray never see you again" Puck threatened. Santana pulled him towards the door while Fred smirked at him.

"You're going to regret saying that"

Puck and Santana left the office and closed the door behind them. They didn't speak until they had left the prison and were in a cab on the way back to the hospital.

"I hope we did the right thing" Santana admitted sadly.

"We did this for Rose, that's the most important thing right now"

"Can we not tell Rachel and Finn about Jimmy's deal, not until everything is okay with Rose. They don't need the extra stress of knowing that Jimmy could be out of prison in five months" Santana explained, worried. She wanted to do the best for Rose, but she also knew that Rachel and Finn might be angry with her for how she had to do it.

"They'll understand Santana"

"I know but just for now can we keep it between us two" Santana asked, glancing over at Puck. He could see just how worried she was about what Rachel and Finn would think. Santana liked to play off how much she cared but everyone knew how much Rachel and Finn's opinion meant to her.

Puck nodded, firmly "Of course, Santana. I won't say a word"

 **Outside Rose's Hospital Room – Lennox Medical Centre – Wednesday Afternoon**

Four hours later everyone was waiting outside of Rose's hospital room. Rose had been in surgery for two hours and her nervous parents, along with everyone else, were waiting anxiously for news that Rose was going to be okay. Finn glanced over at Henry and Mason to see they were both still fast asleep squashed together in Mason's pram. While Henry was laid out in the pram for a baby, with Mason laid out on top of him. It showed how tidy both children were, as neither had even moved in over an hour. Once he was confident his children were comfortable, Finn turned back to Rachel and wrapped her up in his arms.

"Its been too long, we should have heard from the doctor by now" Rachel whispered to Finn, with a worried tone.

"No news is good news Rachel, the doctor said it could take up to three hours. Everything is going to be fine" Finn reassured her. Rachel melted into Finn's embrace as he softly kissed the top of her head.

Thirty minutes later, Rachel prays were answered as the doctor rounded the hallway and walked over to the large group.

"How is she!" Rachel demanded, jumping up from her seat. Finn followed her and quickly took her hand in his"

"The surgery went great, Rose is responding well to the new transplant and her blood work looks good" The doctor explained. Rachel and Finn both let out a sigh of relief as the doctor continued "She's still in recovery but we will bring her back to her room soon and she should wake up in the next hour or so"

"Thank you so much Dr Andrews" Rachel beamed before she hugged Finn tightly. "Oh Finn, thank god! Rose is going to be okay"

Finn pulled Rachel in closer "Of course she is, she's tough, she's our daughter"

 **Rose's Hospital Room – Lennox Medical Centre – Wednesday Evening**

Two hours later, Rose was back in her room. she had woken up groggily an hour ago but after being checked by the doctor she went back to sleep. While everyone had gone home, taking Mason and Henry with them, to get some sleep, Rachel and Finn remained in their seats by Rose's bed watching their daughter sleep.

As Rachel stroked her daughter's hair, Rose slowly opened her eyes, moving her eyes between her parents as they watched her, with wide smiles on their faces.

"Hey Sweetie, how you feeling?" Finn asked.

"I'm okay, Daddy" Rose croaked out. Rachel helped her daughter sit up and take some sips of water before laying her back down.

"What do you need Rosie" Rachel asked, when she noticed her daughter still seemed uncomfortable.

"How about a cookie" Rose replied, giving her parents a cheeky smile. Rachel and Finn both let out loud laughs.

"Oh kid, I'll get you as many cookies as you want"


	16. 4x16 - Glee And The Repercussions

**4x16 – Glee and The Repercussions**

* * *

 **Rose's Hospital Room – Lennox Medical Centre – Saturday Morning**

Two weeks after Rose's operation, the young girl was still in hospital recovering. Either Rachel and Finn spent the night there with her while the other one watched the children at home. Their friends had all been big help for the family, they brought them food, kept their families up to date and helped make sure everything at the magazine was okay but after two weeks of sleeping in hospital chairs the Hudson's, especially Rose, were ready to go home.

"Henry that's enough!" Rachel scolded her son for the third time as he tried again to touch the buttons on the heart monitor that was next to Rose's bed, luckily Rose wasn't connected to it.

"But Mommy, I'm bored!" Henry whined, throwing his head back as Rachel took his hands so he couldn't touch the machine again.

"We're just waiting for the doctor Henry" Finn interjected, giving his son a stern look just as Doctor Andrews walked into Rose's hospital room.

"Hello there Hudson Family, how are you today Miss Rosie" Dr Andrews greeted, smiling down at Henry as she picked up Rose's hospital file and took a quick glance.

"Good! Can I go home now?" Rose asked as she tried to sit up straightener while both her parents told her to slow down so she didn't pop her stitches.

"Let's have a look shall we" Dr Andrews said, she took Rose's blood pressure, checked her pulse and temperature then asked Rose to lie down so she could check her stitches.

"Has Rose, kept everything down" Dr Andrews asked, glancing at Rachel and Finn before going back to Rose.

"She has, and she is passing urine fine" Rachel replied.

"Well her stiches are healing fine" Dr Andrews noted, as she wrote something in Rose's file "As long as she gets plenty of rest, nothing at all strenuous then I see no reason Rose can't go home today"

"Really!" Rose beamed, smiling up at the doctor.

"Here's everything you need to do about after care and you'll need to bring Rose in next week, so that I can see how her scar is healing and to make sure everything is healing properly" Dr Andrews explained as she handed Finn some leaflets as Rachel had her hands full with Mason and Henry.

"That's great news, thank you Dr Andrews" Finn replied, he smiled at Andrews while he moved Henry's hands away from the monitor while Rachel tried to stop Mason from pulling her hair.

"Of course, I'll have one of the nurse's start on the discharge papers, just make sure you sign them before you leave" Dr Andrews stated, she sighed the file then put it back on the end of Rose's bed.

"Will we, thank you again" Rachel beamed.

"See you next week Miss Rosie" Dr Andrews concluded, with a smile. She left the room while Rachel and Finn shared a wide smile, after two weeks their daughter could finally go home.

"Yeah! Can we leave now?" Henry grumbled as he tried to reach for the heart monitor again.

Finn sighed, smiling slightly "Yes, we can"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Saturday Afternoon**

A few hours later, the Hudson family were finally home. They had picked up enough food to last them the week then once they were home, they dumped the bags by the front door then settled in the living room for some quiet time, that had lasted only an hour when Henry declared he was bored, so Finn decided to take him out for a bit while Rachel and Rose lounged on the sofa watching Sleeping Beauty while Mason slept in a bassinet beside them.

"Okay Rosie, Sweetie are you comfy?" Rachel asked as she tucked Rose into the blanket she was under. She then fluffed up the pillow behind her before going back to the straightening the blanket.

"Yes Mommy, can we watch Moana now" Rose asked, sighing slightly.

"Of course, we can. How about some popcorn?" Rachel smiled. She kissed the top of Rose head then jumped off the sofa and walked into the kitchen.

"Yes, please" Rose exclaimed, even though Rachel was already in the kitchen. Rachel made the popcorn and then went back into the living and sat down next to Rose on the sofa. The two were watching Rose's latest favourite film for twenty minutes before Rachel heard the front door open.

"Knock, knock any one here" Quinn called.

"Living room" Rachel called back. She got up from the sofa just as NJ came running in to the living room with Puck and Quinn not far behind.

"Hey guys" NJ greeted. He jumped on the sofa but was still carefully not to shake Rose. The children had been told a handful of times in the last two weeks about how careful they had to be when around Rose while she was recovering.

"Hey Rosie, how you? Can I see your scar again?" NJ asked, excited as he inched closer to her to her. NJ and Henry had been fascinated by the scar near Rose's stomach and had each taken turns to touch until Finn had caught them and got mad at them both.

"Okay but no touching. Daddy said no touching until I'm 25" Rose explained as she pulled up her pyjama top, so NJ could see the small scar. The stiches had been removed before they left the hospital and now they could see the small pink scar that rose just above Rose's skin.

"That's seems like a long time" NJ exclaimed, with a shocked expression.

"I know!" Rose agreed, shaking her head as she pulled her top back down. NJ settled in next to Rose and the two continued to watch the movie, not realising the three adults watching them amused.

"So, she seems a lot better" Quinn noted a she sat down next to Rachel on the sofa while Puck sat in the love seat across from them.

"Yeah, I think she just needed to be home, with her teddies and the big TV" Rachel reasoned, with a slight shrug.

"Where's Finn" Quinn asked, when she noticed the house was missing two of its tenants.

"He's taken Henry out for a bit, think he's getting jealous of all the attention Rose is getting" Rachel explained. While Rachel and Finn wanted to do everything to make Rose comfortable they also wanted to make sure that Henry and Mason didn't feel like they were being pushed aside for Rose, Henry and Rose were already jealous ever since they had brought Mason home and Rachel didn't want t getting worse.

"Just a warning everyone else is on their way over but we promise not to stay long we know Rose needs her rest" Quinn explained.

"Don't worry about it, I figured as much" Rachel laughed just as she heard the front door open, from the loud banging she knew it wasn't Henry and Finn.

"Hey guys" Mercedes greeted as herself, Sam, Brittany, and Santana walked into the living room.

"Hey Rosie, can I see your scar again" Sam asked kneeling down next to Rose as the other found a place to sit.

"Here we brought all Rose's favourites" Santana explained as she dumped three bags onto the coffee table "We even brought mac and cheese from the disgusting place form around the corner"

"It's not disgusting" Rachel snipped as she knelt next to Santana by the coffee table to unpack everything, while everyone else continued watching the movie.

"You go sit with your daughter, I'll sort all this" Santana said. Rachel went back to sit on the sofa while Santana unloaded everything from the bags. She got up and went into the kitchen when she realised there wasn't any cutlery. Santana was closing the cutlery draw and turned around to see Puck stood in front to her with his hands in his pocket, looking nervous.

"You need something Puck" Santana snipped. She knew exactly what Puck was going to say to her, they had been having the same conversation for two weeks. Puck didn't like lying to Finn and Rachel or Quinn about the agreement Santana had made with Jimmy's lawyer and he kept making that fact known.

"Yeah now that Rose is home, I need you to tell Rachel and Finn the truth" Puck replied, firmly.

"I will do" Santana sighed, she tried to move around him, but Puck moved so he as standing in front of her again.

"I mean it Santana, I hate lying to them" Puck affirmed.

"So, do I, Puck, Okay! I'll tell them, just not today. Rose just got out of the hospital" Santana snapped, she glanced behind him to make sure nobody could hear them but luckily they were all absorbed in the Disney movie and the snacks on the table.

"Okay but do it soon" Puck concluded before walking back into the living room. Santana let out a long heavy sigh then followed him. She set the cutlery on the table then made Rose up a plate of food.

"Here Rose, I got your favourite" Santana smiled as she handed her niece her favourite mac and cheese. The young girl beamed at her before she began attacking the mac and cheese despite Rachel telling her to slow down. Santana handed out plates of food to the rest of them and they all settled in to watch the movie.

"Hello everyone, why am not surprised you're all here" Finn sighed as he walked into the living room with Henry in his arms, half an hour later.

"Auntie Sans brought Mac and Cheese" Rose beamed, holding up her now empty plate. Finn smiled at his daughter as he sat Henry down on his mother's lap, before picking up the remote and pausing the movie.

"Well wasn't that nice of her, now everyone is going to leave" Finn instructed, giving everyone a quick look so they knew he was serious.

"But it just got to the good part Finn!" Sam moaned, waving his hand at the TV. Mercedes gave him an amused smile before pulling him up off the floor.

"Watch it your own homes, my daughter needs rest" Finn said, firmly as he watched NJ give Rose a quick hug as everyone else waved goodbye.

"Bye everyone" Rose called, waving to everyone as they slowly left the room.

"We will be back" Mercedes stated, pointing her finger at Finn as sternly as she could, before she left along with the others.

"I know you will be" Finn nodded before settling back into the sofa, with Rose on his lap as they continued watching the film.

 **Rachel and Finn's Bedroom – West Village – Saturday Night**

A few hours later, after watching another three Disney movies while eating the food their friends had brought over, Rachel and Finn had finally put their three children to bed and were relaxing in their own room.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Rachel asked, glancing nervously at their closed door. Either Finn or Rachel had been sleeping next to Rose for the last two weeks and Rachel didn't feel right about leaving Rose alone.

"She'll be fine Rachel and if she isn't she knows where we are" Finn reasoned, as he climbed into bed next her.

"I know, I know, you're right" Rachel sighed as she pulled the duvet up to her neck and cuddled into Finn's side. Another reason Rachel was glad Rose was home from the hospital was because she was glad she was back to sleeping next to her husband, she missed cuddling next to him over the last two weeks.

"Jimmy was transferred to the prison hospital yesterday, he'll be fully recovered soon and back in his cell. I asked Dr Andrews before we left the hospital" Finn explained. Finn had kept tabs on what was happening with Jimmy just, so he could make sure he didn't come anywhere near his children while they were all in the same hospital.

"I still hate that we had to go to them for help, that we couldn't help Rose ourselves" Rachel said, sadly. Finn nodded in agreement before giving Rachel a gentle kiss on the side of her head.

"We did help Rose in the best way we knew Rachel, our daughter is healthy that's the most important thing" Finn reasoned.

"Right again husband, what would I do without you" Rachel smiled, softly. She laid her head on Finn's chest and looked up at him with loving eyes.

"Let's hope you never find out" Finn quipped, smirking at Rachel before pulling her towards him for a searing kiss.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Sunday Morning**

The next day, the Hudson were back in their living room, lounged out of the sofa watching Inside Out while they all had a bowl of cereal, Mason was this time sat on Rachel's lap trying to grab her spoon while she ate her Captain Crunch.

"Okay but what I don't get is why this girl only has 5 emotions" Rachel asked, confused before filling her mouth with cereal. Rose looked away from the TV to glare at her mother, this was the fourth time Rachel had interrupted the movie.

"Shush Mommy!" Rose scolded, putting her finger to her mouth before turning back to the TV. Finn looked over the top of Rose's head, winking at her, it was also the fourth time Rose had scolded Rachel when she interrupted.

"I guess I'm the only one it bothers" Rachel sighed as she moved Mason's hand away from her mouth.

"Yes, you are" Finn agreed looking over at Rachel again, who rolled her eyes at him but decided not to say anything else about the movie. The family were having breakfast and watching the movie for another half an hour before they once again heard their door open.

"Hey guys" Quinn greeted, smiling cautiously at the family as she walked into the living room.

"We really need to start locking our door" Finn quipped, shaking his head as Quinn took a seat next to Rachel on the sofa,

"Ignore him" Rachel said, nipping Finn playfully on the arm before turning to Quinn "Quinn everything okay?"

"Can you guys talk" Quinn asked. Rachel and Finn shared a quick look, they could see this wasn't just a drop by to see Rose.

"Let's go to the kitchen" Finn said. The adults went into the kitchen leaving Henry and Rose watching the movie, with Mason sat between them with a pillow in front of him. Rachel made Quinn a drink then sat next to Finn at the breakfast bar

"Okay Quinn, what's going on?" Rachel asked.

"Puck and I went out to dinner last night and we ran into Heather" Quinn started, running her hands together nervously.

"Who is Heather" Finn asked, glancing at Rachel.

"Todd's wife" Rachel answered.

"Todd's ex-wife. Which she loudly told the whole restaurant about last night, including that I'm the reason their young children are now splitting time between their mom and dad" Quinn explained, embarrassed, she couldn't even look Rachel or Finn in the eye.

"That must have been awful" Rachel sympathised, she reached across and gave Quinn's hand a squeeze pulling on it slightly, so Quinn would look at them.

"How did Puck deal with it?" Finn asked. Finn knew his friend tended to retreat into himself with tense situations.

"That's why I'm here, he says he's fine, but he was really quiet last night, and he left to go to the gym this morning without really saying anything" Quinn continued, sadly.

"I can talk to him Quinn but I'm sure he was telling the truth when he said he was fine. He knows what happened, it not like it was a shock to him" Finn reasoned, trying to calm Quinn's nerves, while Finn didn't 100% believe what he was saying, he knew it was what Quinn needed to hear.

"I hate that I broke up their marriage" Quinn admitted.

"You didn't Quinn, Todd did that on his own. Concentrate on yourself and Noah that what's important" Rachel said, giving her friend a reassuring smile.

"You're right, I'll leave you all to it" Quinn replied, before jumping off the stool.

"I'll talk to him Quinn, but I promise you'll be fine" Finn added.

"Thanks guys" Quinn gave them a small smile. She gave them both a hug then made her way out of the house.

"What do you really think" Rachel asked, turning to Finn as soon as she knew Quinn had left.

"I think Puck is probably going at a punching bag right now, I'll text him and tell him to drop by once he's done and make sure he's okay" Finn replied.

"Good! Now let's get back to this stupid movie" Rachel quipped, rolling her eyes.

"You must be the only person in the world who thinks that" Finn laughed before pulling Rachel back into the living room where their children were waiting.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Sunday Afternoon**

A few hours later Rachel, Finn and their kids were on their 5th movie of the day. Finn had text Puck and told him to drop by later but for now they Hudson's were happy to just relax in their home after a tense and stressful few weeks.

"I really feel like I'm going to get square guys, how many movies have we watched now" Finn moaned, as he rubbed his eyes before leaning his head back on the sofa.

"This is the 5th one but our children are settled and quiet so no complaining" Rachel replied, sternly nodding her head at Rose, Henry and Mason who were cuddled together at the end of the sofa.

"I give it 2 minutes" Finn whispered. Rachel playfully nudged him but less than two minutes later they heard the door open.

"Hey guys, you here?" Mercedes asked.

"I'm just too good" Finn laughed, shaking his head as Mercedes walked into the living room and threw herself onto the love seat across from them.

"Hey Mercedes, what's up?" Rachel asked.

"Why does anything have to be up" Mercedes shrugged, trying to appear casual but completely failing.

"Cut to the chase Mercedes we have a movie to watch" Rachel added, clicking her fingers impatiently until Rose again told her to be quiet.

"Sam asked me to move in with him" Mercedes replied, with a small smile.

"That's great Mercedes… isn't it?" Rachel asked, noticing that Mercedes didn't seem as happy as Rachel thought she should be.

"Do you guys think it too soon, we haven't been back together long, and I'm not even divorced yet. I love Sam I do but this just seems like too much" Mercedes explained, worried, running her hands through her hair before looking over at Finn and Rachel.

"Mommy, I wanna watch the movie" Rose grumbled glaring at all the adults. Rachel turned the volume up on the TV before turning to Finn.

"Okay Finn make this one quick, before they start making a fuss" Rachel said, waving her hand at Mercedes.

"Why me!" Finn replied, annoyed.

"You're better at this than me"

"She's your friend"

"Guys! I'm right here" Mercedes said, loudly. Finn and Rachel both looked over at her and Finn could see Mercedes really needed some advice.

"Fine!" Finn sighed, before turning to Mercedes "Mercedes do you love Sam?"

Mercedes nodded, firmly "Yes!"

"Do you see your future with him in it" Finn asked, giving Mercedes a pointed look because he already knew the answer.

"Of course, I do"

"Then why exactly do you not want to live with him. You have both waited so long to be together and now you are. So, you should just enjoy it! Life is short, the last few weeks have shown us that life is short and unexpected. We should enjoy it while we can" Finn explained, giving Mercedes a knowing look while Rachel smirked at him.

"You're right he is a lot better at this than you" Mercedes quipped.

"I'm okay with that" Rachel laughed before giving Finn a kiss on the cheek and cuddling into his side.

"I'll let you guys get back to your movie" Mercedes said as she got up from the loveseat, she waved at Henry and Rose then left the living room.

"Bye Mercedes" Finn said before in settled back into the sofa with Rachel in his arms.

"You're the best" Rachel beamed wrapping both her arms around Finn and giving him a quick kiss.

"Thank you"

"Mommy, Daddy be quiet" Rose snipped, never taking her eyes of the TV as she snapped her fingers at her amused parents.

 **Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Sunday Afternoon**

Finn was in the middle of making dinner for everyone when he heard the front door open. Finn let out a relieved sigh when he saw that it was Puck and not another one of Rachel's friends with another problem. Finn had text Puck almost three hours before, so he was a little worried that his friend was only now arriving at the house.

"You took your time getting here, how long were you at the gym for" Finn asked, amused as Puck helped himself to a bottle of water then took a seat on the bar stool.

"How did you know I was at the gym… never mind, I take it Quinn has been round" Puck laughed, shaking his head.

"She told us what happened last night, and she thinks that you might not have been truthful when you told her that you were fine with it" Finn explained. He turned the heat down on the pasta he was boiling before turning to Puck.

"Okay maybe when I said it I didn't really mean it, but I do now" Puck admitted.

"You do?"

"It brought it all back last night when we saw that idiot's wife and it made me realise that we could so easily just bump into them on the street and I would be reminded of what my wife did. But I pounded in a punching bag for an hour picturing Todd's face and now I'm over it" Puck explained, he ran his hands through his hair as Finn watched him closely trying to decide if Puck was being honest with him.

"While I'm sure that's all true I still think you should talk to Quinn, she probably has all the same fears and I'm sure she doesn't want to be reminded of what happened anymore that you do this" Finn reasoned.

"And I know this already, I was on my way home to tell her when I saw your message" Puck quipped, smirking at him. Finn put his hand on his heart, mockingly., trying to look shocked.

"Well good then, looks like you don't need me" Finn said, with a sarcastic sigh "I'm so proud"

"Shut up you're running it" Puck complained, rolling his eyes.

"Go on home to your wife then, my work is no longer needed" Finn declared, waving his hand to the front door. Puck got up to leave but at the last second turned back round.

"Hey, have you guys spoken to Santana today" Puck asked, cautiously.

"No why?" Finn replied, confused.

"No reason, I'll see you later" Puck shrugged, before quickly leaving the house. Finn decided to worry about Puck's strange question later as he continued to make dinner.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Sunday Evening**

Once Puck had left the Hudson enjoyed their dinner then watched their 7th movie of the day before Santana and Brittany arrived for their visit that neither had told Rachel and Finn about but both knew they would be dropping by at some point in the day. The two walked into the living room with bags of food just as they had put the 8th movie on.

"Hey Guys, it's our turn to bug you" Brittany stated, holding up the two bags of food in her hands.

"Hey Aunt Britt" Henry and Rose said together.

"We brought food though" Brittany cheered she put the bags on the coffee table and started pulling out bags of chips as well as chocolates and sweets, while Santana remained standing by the arch way.

"Can I talk to you guys for a second" Santana asked, carefully. Rachel and Finn shared a quick look, noting the tone in Santana's voice.

"I'll sort all the food and watch the kids" Brittany added. The two parents nodded then followed Santana into the kitchen.

"What's going on Santana" Rachel asked, as she took Finn's hand becoming as nervous as Santana looked.

"I've been keeping something from you" Santana started, suddenly nervous "Jimmy wasn't very willing to have the operation to help Rose, he wanted something out of it first"

"He's unbelievable you think he would just help her" Finn exclaimed, angrily shaking his head as Rachel gave Santana a hard look.

"What did he want?" Rachel asked. Santana looked at Rachel with slight fear, before looking away.

"He wanted his parole hearing to be moved up to six months' time. The judge granted it on the basis he gets in no more trouble while still in prison" Santana replied.

"So, Jimmy could be out in six months" Rachel asked, shaking her head "Why would you agree to this Santana?"

"I didn't think there was any other way to get Jimmy's help and I knew Rose needed the transplant" Santana said, desperately. She looked into the living room and while Rose and Henry were too busy watching the movie she could see that Brittany was listening to them.

"Why didn't you tell us this Santana" Rachel snipped, Finn put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she continued to stare at Santana.

"Because you were already dealing with so much and I didn't want to add to it" Santana reasoned

"This should have been our decision Santana, they are our children and it should be our decision to have that monster out on the streets" Rachel argued, she ran her hands through her hair and started to pace the kitchen as Santana looked on helplessly. She knew Rachel and Finn could been annoyed with her for keeping it a secret, but she didn't think Rachel would be as angry as she was.

"I didn't know what else to do, I just wanted to help Rose" Santana pressed.

"I don't think this was the best way to go about it, what if he expects something from us once he's out, what if he uses this as a way to see Rose, Henry and Mason" Rachel cried. Finn came over to her and wrapped her in a hug.

"I'm sorry Rachel, I just wanted …"

"I think you should leave, I need to think" Rachel cut in. She pulled away from Finn and walked back into the living room while Brittany rushed out and joined them in the kitchen.

"I'll talk to her Santana. She knows you'd never do anything to hurt the kids, or us" Finn reasoned as he walked Santana and Brittany to the front door.

Santana gave him a small smile "Thank you, Finn"

 **Rachel and Finn's Bedroom – West Village – Sunday Evening**

A few hours later, the kids were all in bed and Finn figured it was a good time to talk about Santana's bombshell as Rachel and Finn enjoyed a glass of wine out in the garden. Finn poured them both a second glass of red wine before wrapping his arm around Rachel, pulling her close as he rocked the garden swing they were on.

"Rachel, let's talk about this" Finn said.

"She should have told us Finn, it should have been our decision to make, not hers" Rachel argued, rubbing her face against Finn's soft jumper.

"She wanted to do what was best for Rose and at that time it was Jimmy. Truthfully Rachel I would have given Jimmy whatever he wanted if it meant saving Rose's life and deep down I know you would have too" Finn reasoned. He understood what Santana had done straight away and he was surprised that Rachel was so angry about it.

"I don't like it, something doesn't feel right about it, what if he wants something from us, what if he starts coming around here. We were safe knowing he was in prison" Rachel ranted before taking a long drink of her wine.

"We're safe now Rachel, he can't come near us, we have a restraining order. We have custody, he can't do anything to us. I'll make sure of it Rachel, so will you, so will Santana. We all protect these children, you know it" Finn soothed as he rubbed his arm.

"Maybe you're right" Rachel sighed.

"You've said that a lot lately, it must be killing you" Finn quipped, tickling Rachel's side.

"I'll apologise to Santana tomorrow when they all come round for dinner" Rachel said

"Since when are they coming for dinner" Finn groaned, giving Rachel a pleading look. The group usually had dinner together once a week, but Finn had hoped it had been cancelled as Rose got some more rest.

" _Really_?"

"We are never going to be rid of these people" Finn sighed, throwing his head back as Rachel laughed at him theatrics, before taking a sip of her wine, while Finn continued to moan.

 **Rachel and Finns house – West Village – Monday Morning**

"Mommy, your phone is ringing again" Henry said as he walked into the kitchen with Rachel's phone in his hand. The Hudson were having breakfast at the bar in the kitchen early Monday morning before Rachel dropped Henry off at school.

"Who is it this time" Rachel asked as she picked up Henry and handed him a piece of toast.

"Grandma Carole" Henry replied through a mouth full of toast as he handed Rachel her phone.

"They must be desperate if your mother is calling me" Rachel moaned as she handed the phone to Finn, who rolled his eyes before answering.

"Hey Mom… Yeah everything is fine… yes we have everything under control… no you don't need to send your maid to help us… Mom, Rachel does know how to clean"

"Put the phone down" Rachel sneered, glaring at Finn.

"Gotta go, bye mom" Finn rushed out, quickly putting the phone down before he turned to Rachel "I love you"

"You better, because if one more person from our family calls, I'm going to murder someone, and I doubt it will be my children" Rachel argued

"Stay back" Finn warned, playfully as held Mason in front of her. Mason started kicking his feet out laughing at both his parents. Finn put him back on his lap just as Rachel phone started ringing again. Finn checked to see who was calling before passing it to Rachel.

"It's your sister"

"Stop calling!" Rachel snapped before hastily disconnecting the call and throwing her phone onto the counter.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Monday Evening**

"Hey Guys!"

Finn looked up from where he was watching TV on the sofa too all their friends walk in from the front door. The group, just like Rachel had predicted, had arrived for their weekly dinner at Finn and Rachel's. Finn had hoped they might skip the week, so Rose could relax at home, but he knew they would never miss a chance to all get together.

"I'm really sick of hearing that!" Finn jested as The Hudson got p from the sofa and met everyone in the kitchen.

"We brought food!" Puck called, holding up the bags of Chinese food before walking into the living room.

"You better have, we're always feeding you lot" Finn snipped, rolling is eyes just as Santana walked over to Rachel and Finn.

"Hey Rach" Santana greeted, carefully. Rachel held up her hand before Santana could start with another apology.

"I'm not angry, I understand why you did what I did, I would have done the same thing" Rachel said, she glanced over at Rose who was being helped to the table by Sam "My daughter is happy and healthy, and that's all I care about"

"I won't let him near you guys, you know that right" Santana affirmed.

"I do… Now let's eat" Rachel said. The three of them walked into the dining room and joined their friends. While the adults were dishing out all the food, NJ was couched down next to Rose, staring at her stomach.

"Just let me touch just once" NJ said.

"Boy what did I tell you, no touching until you're 25" Finn said, firmly, NJ sighed loudly and looked up at his uncle.

"But what if it's gone by then" NJ argued. Finn gave him a hard look "Fine!"

"Here, have a spring roll, son" Puck laughed when his son rushed over to him and climbed onto his lap. NJ threw the whole spring roll in his mouth while Rose looked at her father with pouting lips.

"What if I promise only NJ can touch it Daddy" Rose asked.

"That's makes it worse Rosie" Finn sighed, throwing his head back. NJ and Rose, baffled by Finn's reaction just went back to their food.

"I hear we have some good news to celebrate" Santana stated, once they all had a good laugh at Finn's behaviour. Mercedes had text them all to let know she had decided to move in with Sam.

"That we do, do your thing Puck" Sam beamed, smiling at Mercedes, who kissed his cheek as everyone picked up their glass.

"To Mercedes and Sam, it time for you both to be as happy as we all are. You both deserve it and we wish you all the luck in the universe" Puck said, holding up his beer bottle "To Mercedes and Sam"

"Mercedes and Sam" Everyone chorused, before taking a sip of their own drink.

"So, I take it you'll be moving into Sam's apartment" Brittany asked

"Definitely!" Sam agreed, before noticing the look on Mercedes's face "I mean, it's something to discuss"

"I'm glad I'm home mommy" Rose whispered as she climbed onto her mother's lap, as everyone around them talked about what exactly wrong with Mercedes's apartment.

"Me too Sweetie, me too" Rachel said, smiling down at her daughter, she kissed the top of her head then went back to her Chinese food, while Rose snuggled into her chest.


	17. 4x17 - Glee and The Letter

**4x17 – Glee and The Letter**

* * *

 **Rachel's Office – Broadway Star Offices – Monday Morning**

Three weeks after Rose's Hospital stay, everything had returned to normal for the Hudson family. Rose had returned to school which meant that Rachel was now back at work full time as she had taken time off to look after her daughter.

So early Monday morning, Rachel walked into her office to see Tina was already there laying out some papers on her desk.

"Morning Boss" Tina greeted as Rachel shrugged off her coat, leaving it laid on the sofa before she moved over to her desk and switched on her Mac.

"Morning Tina, anything that needs my urgent attention because I really need to finalise the look book for the next issue" Rachel explained as she took a seat and glanced over at Tina, who suddenly looked very nervous.

"Actually, there is something" Tina replied, cautiously.

"What's with the face" Rachel smirked, Tina handed her the letter and Rachel noticed the return address "This is from the prison… where Jimmy is"

"It arrived this morning, with all the other mail, is it from Jimmy" Tina asked once Rachel had ripped open the envelope and began reading the letter.

"Yeah" Rachel sighed "Says he wants to know how Rose is, says he thinks about them all the time, and that he wants a photo of them"

Rachel screwed up the letter and threw it on her desk before she began pacing her office, while Tina looked on, worried.

"I knew something like this would happen, I knew he would want something" Rachel snapped, running her hands through her hair. Tina walked in front of Rachel, so she would stop pacing and put her hands-on Rachel's shoulders.

"Just because he wants something doesn't mean you have to give it to them, ignore this Rachel. You don't owe Jimmy anything" Tina argued. Rachel nodded her slowly, she knew what Tina was saying was true but that didn't mean she didn't still have an ache in her heart when she thought about Jimmy getting any where near her children.

"Yeah, you're right" Rachel sighed heavily, glancing over at the crumpled letter on her desk while Tina gave her a pointed look.

"Rachel"

"Sorry yeah, let's just pretend we never got this, nobody has to know about it okay" Rachel pressed, she shrugged off Tina's hands then walked back over to her desk and threw herself into the office chair.

Tina nodded "That's fine Rachel"

"Can you get me the look book" Rachel asked, still feel tense about the letter.

"On it now… want me to burn that" Tina asked, nodding at the letter.

"No that's okay, I'll get rid of it" Rachel replied, she picked up the letter and read through it again. It had been written in pencil and had loads of spelling errors. She was so absorbed in the letter that she didn't hear Tina calling her name until the third time.

" _Rachel!"_

"Sorry did you say something" Rachel said, distracted, glancing up at Tina who still had a concerned look on her face.

"Yes, I said, get rid of that letter and I'll get you Danish from the café next door, as well as a hot chocolate"

"Getting rid of it" Rachel smiled at Tina. Tina walked out of the office, and Rachel instead of throwing the letter away, shoved it back into her bag.

 **The Diner – Park Avenue – Monday Afternoon**

Three hours later, Rachel was at the diner with her friends having lunch. She was lost in a world of her own. She couldn't stop thinking about the letter from Jimmy. She had been expecting something to happen ever since Santana told them about the deal Jimmy made but Rachel hadn't expected it so soon.

"Earth to Rachel…RACHEL… RACHEL!" Santana shrilled, snapping her fingers in front of Rachel. Rachel jumped and turned to face her friends who were all looking at her confused.

"Sorry, did you say something" Rachel asked, distracted. She knew she wasn't being fair to her friends, they didn't have long together for lunch, but all Rachel could think about was the letter and how Finn was going to react when she told him.

"We've been calling you, is everything okay, you're in a world of your own" Quinn replied.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired you know that whole three kid's thing" Rachel quipped. She didn't want to tell her friends about the letter until she had told Finn and they had decided what they were going to do about it.

"You sure that's all it is" Mercedes pressed, they could all tell when one of the others were lying and they could al see right through Rachel.

"It is, yeah… what everyone ordering" Rachel asked, desperate to change the subject. She picked up a menu and the others went back to their conversation, realising they wouldn't get anything else out of Rachel.

"How's it going with you and Puck then, you recovered from seeing Todd's wife the other week" Santana asked. Quinn and Puck had seen Todd's ex-wife in a restaurant and she had made sure that everyone in the restaurant knew who Quinn was and what she had done.

"Sort of" Quin sighed.

"What do you mean sort of" Mercedes wondered

"Todd's been calling me" Quinn admitted before taking a long sip of her iced tea. Todd had called Quinn almost everyday since she had seen his wife sometimes 3 times in a day. Quinn had ignored them every time and make sure she told Puck about them, but they were still getting to her.

"What! Why?" Mercedes exclaimed.

"No idea, I haven't been answering, he's been emailing me saying he wants to talk" Quinn explained, rubbing her hands together nervously.

"How does Noah feel about that" Rachel asked, it was also her way of asking if Quinn had actually Noah about the calls.

"He's not happy, but he knows it's not my fault" Quinn replied, sadly. Quinn hated upsetting Puck, but she also knew she had to tell him. Puck and Quinn had a second chance in their marriage and she didn't want Todd to ruin that.

"Maybe you should talk to him" Mercedes reasoned, shrugging slightly as Rachel and Santana gaped at her.

"Mercedes are you serious?" Santana snipped, glaring at Mercedes who held up her hands in defence.

"Just to tell him to leave you alone, you need to make it clear to him you're not interested in him" Mercedes argued, giving Quinn a firm look.

"I don't think that's a good idea" Rachel reasoned, with a roll of her eyes.

"Me either… I think Puck should be one to tell him he needs to back off" Santana added, pointing her finger at Quinn, with an expression that she thought she had the best idea.

"Also, a bad idea, you're grown adults, block his number and email and move on. Your life is with Noah, Todd doesn't matter" Rachel ranted, shaking her head at her friends. They all looked at her shocked,

"Is everything okay Rachel?" Santana pressed, putting her hand firmly on Rachel's arm. Rachel looked at her friends concerned faces, but decided not to say anything.

"Everything is fine!" Rachel snipped, looking away from her friends as she took a sip of her Ice Tea.

 **Teacher's Lounge – Dalton Academy – Monday Afternoon**

At the same time, Puck was on the Dalton practice pitch with the football team going over plays for the Friday game. He was also telling Finn about what was going on with Todd and Quinn. Finn had skipped going to the teachers lounge for his break so that Puck could vent to him.

"Come one Rogers, you can throw better than that, go again" Puck shouted at his Quarterback before turning back to Finn to finish their conversation "I mean he wont stop calling, its getting ridiculous. I seriously want to go down to his office and punch his lights out" Puck ranted before shouting out some more plays to his team.

"Bad idea Puck" Finn argued, shaking his head. Finn knew how much of a hot head Puck was but so was Todd and Puck talking to Todd would only go one way. With either Puck in trouble and Todd in the hospital or the other way around.

"I know" Puck sighed, rubbing his hand over his face "But I don't know what else to do. I don't want Quinn talking to him"

"I think ignoring him is for the best, he'll get the message eventually" Finn reasoned. Truthfully Finn didn't know if Todd would stop calling, he could be relentless when he wanted to be, but it was the only thing Finn could think to say.

"You really think so" Puck wondered, glancing at Finn, worried before going back to looking over his football team, who were now doing drills up and down the field.

"Of course, Todd is many things but he's not stupid, he'll get it eventually" Finn reasoned, as he looked out over the football field.

"And if he doesn't" Puck asked, worried.

Finn slapped Puck on the back, reassuringly "He will"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Monday Evening**

After a long day of work, where she still hadn't figured out what to do about the letter, Rachel was walking into her house, ready for a glass of wine and a kiss from her husband. Rachel dumped her bags by the front door then walked into the living room.

"Hey Babe" Rachel greeted, smiling lovingly at Finn as she climbed into his lap. Rachel wrapped her arms around Finn's neck and gave him a loving kiss.

"Hey Hun, how was your day?" Finn asked as wrapped his own arms around Rachel and pulled her close. He was happy that Rose and Henry were settled in the playroom and Mason was asleep, so they could have a few quiet moments just the two of them.

"Long but productive, finally got the next issue finalised, remind me never to work with Brett Daniels again, he moves like a slug" Rachel answered, with a frustrated sigh.

"I seem to remember we already had that conversation and you told me he's the best stylist there is" Finn quipped. Rachel had worked with Daniels 6 times and each time she said they same thing about it and Finn always listened to her complain but never said anything because he knew Rachel liked Brett's work too much, to never work with him again.

"God, I need a bubble bath" Rachel sighed, stretching out on the sofa, smirking at Finn "Care to join me"

Finn nodded, eagerly "Absolutely, as long as you can wait until the kids are in bed"

"How was your day?" Rachel asked leaning back down to put her head on Finn's chest. They were both now laid out on the long sofa.

"Puck told me about Todd trying to contact Quinn" Finn replied.

"Quinn told us today, Noah knows she's not going to do anything about it right"

Finn nodded "He does, he just wants Todd to leave them alone… I know the feeling"

"What do you mean?" Rachel wondered, glancing up at Finn with a confused look.

"I just mean with Jimmy, I know we needed him but a part of me hates that in some way he is always going to be connected to our family and I hate the thought of him trying to use it to weasel his way back in to our children's lives" Finn explained, both angry and sad.

"He won't Finn, we won't let him" Rachel pressed. She knew in that moment that she couldn't tell Finn about the letter, he would worry even more that he already was, especially now that things could go back to normal after Rose's operation.

"I know, I know. He just pushes my buttons even while still locked in a jail cell" Finn sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Let not let him affect him, like Todd is with Quinn and Noah. We're stronger than that" Rachel argued. She sat up, so she could face Finn and he could see that she was serious. Rachel didn't want Finn to worry anymore than he already was.

"I know" Finn agreed, wrapping his arm back around Rachel "I love you"

Rachel gave Finn a quick kiss "Ditto"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Tuesday Evening**

The next evening, Quinn and Puck had come over to the Hudson's for dinner and while Finn and Puck went to get some take-out food and the children played in the playroom, Quinn and Rachel sat in the living room sharing a bottle of wine.

"Here you go" Rachel said, handing Quinn a glass of wine before sitting down next to her on the sofa.

"Thanks" Quinn replied, before taking a long sip of the red wine "God I needed that"

"I guess things with Todd haven't got any better" Rachel sympathised before taking a drink of her own wine.

"His calls are happening every day, I blocked his number and he just used another one. If I don't answer him, he emails me. I can't change it because its my work email. I've run out of ideas" Quinn admitted, with a sigh as she leaned back on the sofa.

"Can I suggest a restraining order, maybe you need to get the authorities involved" Rachel suggested. At first, she thought that maybe Quinn was exaggerating what Todd was doing but once she thought about it some more Rachel realised Todd sounded unstable.

"Noah said that but that I heard he's fighting his wife for custody and a restraining order could damage that chance" Quinn explained, with a slight shake of her head.

"So what Quinn, maybe he doesn't deserve to see his children if he willing to do this, why should you help him. He's bad guy who destroyed his family all on his own" Rachel exclaimed. Quinn gaped at her for a few seconds and Rachel felt a little guilty at snapping at her friend once again.

"Why do I get the feeling we aren't talking about Todd anymore" Quinn quipped, giving Rachel a piercing look.

"Jimmy sent a letter to my office, he said he wanted to know how Rose was recovering and how the kids were. He asked me to send him a photo of them. He said we was trying to change and be a better person" Rachel explained, ashamed.

"I hope to god you don't believe him" Quinn gasped.

"Of course not, but I do feel like I owe him something. He saved Rose's life" Rachel reasoned. Rachel hated to think about it, but she also knew it was true. Jimmy had saved Rose's life and Rachel felt indebted to him in some way.

"Yeah only because he got something out of it. He got a reduced sentence and we both know he never would have done it without it" Quinn acknowledged.

Rachel nodded "I know. I do know"

"What does Finn think" Quinn asked before noticing the guilty look on Rachel's face "Rachel, please tell me you've told him"

"I can't, he hates that Jimmy has this connection to Rose now. Finn is her father and I don't want him to think that anyone thinks otherwise" Rachel explained, sadly. Rachel still felt awful about keeping something from Finn, but she still believed it was what was right for her family as well.

"Rachel, you can't keep this to him, especially if you decide to write Jimmy back" Quinn reasoned, with a pleading look to Rachel.

"I'm not going to write Jimmy back, I don't need to. Just please don't say anything" Rachel argued. She could see Quinn wasn't happy about it, but she gave Rachel a stern nod.

"Okay, I won't say a word" Quinn replied, reluctantly taking a sip of her wine just as the front door opened.

"Mommy, Daddy is back"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Thursday Evening**

"Finn! You home?" Rachel called as she walked into the house the next evening. She walked into the living room to see Rose and Henry watching TV while Finn was on the sofa with Mason in his arms. He had a far-away look on his face, and it didn't look like he had even seen her come into the room.

"Why don't you guys go to the play room until dinner" Rachel suggested, smiling at Rose and Henry as they rushed upstairs. She waited until they were out of sight before turning back to Finn.

"Finn didn't you hear me calling you" Rachel asked, as Finn still wasn't looking at her.

"Want to explain this to me?" Finn snipped, holding up an envelope and Rachel could clearly see the prison stamp on the back.

"What is that?" Rachel asked, worried. The day after her conversation with Quinn, Rachel had decided to write a letter back to Jimmy, briefly telling him that Rose was okay but also making clear that they would be no more contact, and he was to stay away. Rachel hoped that would be the last they heard from Jimmy.

"Don't pretend that you don't know this is a letter from Jimmy. It's a follow up to the letter he sent you a week ago, you know the one you kept from me" Finn snapped, throwing the letter on the coffee table before he jumped up from the sofa, making Mason jump slightly at being moved.

"Finn…."

"Why wouldn't you tell me about this Rachel!" Finn argued as he settled Mason back in his arms, trying not to raise his voice so Rose and Henry wouldn't hear them arguing.

"Because I didn't want it to mean anything. I thought if I wrote him back telling him to leave us alone then it would be over, and you wouldn't get upset" Rachel reasoned, running her hands together nervously.

"I'm more upset that my wife lied to me" Finn snapped.

"I know and I'm sorry. I was going to tell you but then you told me about how you hated that Jimmy was somehow back in our lives. I didn't want you to think that Jimmy was some how more her father than you were because he was the one who gave her the transplant" Rachel ranted. Rachel hated laying out Finn's insecurity to him, but she had to make him see that she had kept Jimmy's letter a secret because she didn't want to hurt him.

"I have some work to do, I'll be in the office" Finn sighed after a few moments of tense silence.

"Finn…" Rachel sighed, holding her hand out for Finn put he moved away from her.

"I don't want to talk right now" Finn snapped before walking out of the living room.

 **Rachel and Finn's Office – West Village – Thursday Evening**

An hour later, Rachel made sure that Rose and Henry were okay in the playroom then decided she should check on Finn, who had been hiding in the office since their argument.

"Knock, Knock. You ready to talk" Rachel asked as she walked into the office to find Finn sat at his desk while Mason was trying to roll around on the playmat by Finn's feet. Rachel took another cautious step into the office and closed the door behind her.

"I want to see the letter that he sent you and the one you sent back" Finn demanded, giving Rachel a pointed look.

"I thought you would" Rachel gave him a small smile before handing over the two letters. Finn quickly read over them both then threw them in the trash can under his desk.

"I never want to see these letters again and if he sends you another, you tell me about it and then we destroy it" Finn said, firmly.

"Of course, Finn" Rachel nodded "I was stupid, but I thought I was doing the right thing. I wanted him to know that he had no chance seeing our children and I didn't want to worry you that he was trying to"

"I guess I understand that" Finn reasoned, looking away from Rachel so she couldn't see the sad expression he had on his face. Rachel walked over to him and put her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look at her.

"Finn, Rose is your daughter" Rachel said firmly. She sat on Finn's lap and wrapped her arms around him "I'm sorry, I really am. I never want to hurt you"

"Forgiven" Finn replied, kissing her softly on the lips. Rachel cuddled into Finn's side for a few minutes, enjoying the peace and quiet until she realised they should probably check on their other two children.

"Come on, we have hungry children downstairs" Rachel jested. She got up from Finn's lap, picking Mason up on the way then walked out of the office with Finn following behind her. They went downstairs to find Rose and Henry sat on the sofa watching a movie.

"Daddy, where have you been. I haven't seen you" Rose stated, smiling widely at her father.

"I'm sorry Miss Rose, Daddy is finished with his work now" Finn quipped as he walked into the living room and sat down next to Rose.

"Good! We can watch Moana. Grandma sent me the doll yesterday" Rose beamed, holding up the doll in her hand for Finn to get a better look. Finn glanced over at Rachel with a confused look.

"My mom, not yours" Rachel said, with a small smile as she bounced Mason on her knee. Finn had had a long argument with his mother about the expensive gifts she always sent the children (without actually making time to see them) and Finn was glad to see he wouldn't have to have the argument with her again.

"Sounds good Sweetie" Finn said, he opened his arms "Come here guys" Rose and Henry both jumped into their father's arms and he hugged them tightly "Daddy loves you both so much"

"We love you too Daddy" Rose replied, happily and Henry nodded in agreement, both still engrossed in their father's arms.

 **Teacher's Lounge – Dalton Academy – Friday Morning**

"You look about as good as I feel" Puck grumbled as he walked into the teacher's lounge to see Finn slumped in a chair. Puck grabbed himself a cup of coffee then took a seat across from Finn at the table.

"Todd still harassing you guys" Finn asked, already knowing the answer. Puck took a big drink of his coffee before answering.

"Yeah and Quinn refuses to go to the police. She still thinks its her fault him and his wife are divorcing, and she doesn't want to make it worse" Puck said, annoyed, rubbing his hand over his face frustrated.

"She's too nice for her own good your wife" Finn laughed, shaking his head slightly.

"Tell me about it" Puck said, rolling his eyes "Wanna talk about what your wife did" Finn gave him a confused look "She told Quinn what happened"

"I understand the way Rachel's mind works, I know she was trying to do the right thing, she just sometimes goes about it in the wrong way" Finn reasoned. He'd forgiven Rachel for keeping the letter a secret, but he was still worried about what the letters meant for his family.

"Finn; Rose, Henry and Mason are your children" Puck pressed, giving Finn a pointed look. Finn looked away form him.

"I know that!" Finn grumbled.

"I don't just mean because of a piece of paper" Puck started, continuing to look at Finn closely "I mean because of Rose's love for school, the way Henry always rubs his hands over his face whenever the Jets are losing, or how Mason can fall asleep no matter how loud a place is. That's all you, there is none of Jimmy in them and they never will be"

"Thanks Man" Finn said, smirking slightly as he looked back at Puck "You're getting really good at this advice thing"

Puck rolled his eyes "Don't get used to it"

 **Todd's Office Building – Upper East Side – Saturday Morning**

Finn walked into Todd's office the next day to see Todd asleep at his desk which was covered in rubbish. Todd's clothes were scattered around the room and there was a duvet and cushion on the sofa which meant Todd was obviously living in his office.

"Wow how the mighty have fallen…. Then again were you ever mighty" Finn sneered as he closed the door behind him, not taking his eyes off Todd.

"Finn Hudson? What are you doing here?" Todd asked, dramatically sneering at Finn as he got up from his desk and walked around it, so he was in front of Finn.

Finn took a step closer to Todd "I'm here with a warning, Leave Quinn Puckerman alone"

"Oh yeah, I heard you were all still friends… you still married to that hot piece Rachel" Todd smirked. Finn rolled his eyes at Todd petty excuse to wind him up. Finn was never one for arguments and violence, but Puck had been a good friend to Finn and he knew he had to do this so that Puck and Quinn could have their second chance.

"Whatever you're doing Todd isn't going to work. I came here to tell you to leave Quinn alone or I'm going to go to the police. She doesn't deserve you harassing her and you're not doing yourself any favours" Finn acknowledged.

"This is none of your business Hudson" Todd snapped, glaring at Finn.

"Actually, it is. Quinn and Puck are my family and I'm not going to let you hurt them more than you already have"

"That was all Quinn" Todd scoffed. Finn rolled his eyes as Todd's unwillingness to see his own faults, his son to be ex-wife was better off without him in Finn's opinion.

"It take two Todd, and now you're paying for what you did"

"Quinn should pay too"

"Believe me she has" Finn replied, looking Todd dead on in the eyes "Todd I've tried being nice but if I hear that you have tried to contact Quinn again I will make you pay"

"Please what are you going to do" Todd laughed, harshly. Finn grabbed Todd by the collar and flung in to the wall. Finn lifted Todd, so his toes were barely touching the floor. Todd looked shocked but also scared.

"I better not have to come down here again Todd… or you will regret it" Finn warned him, with a dangerous glint in his eye "Do you hear me Todd"

"I hear you" Todd whispered. Finn nodded firmly. He let go of Todd's collar, wiped his hands on his suit jacket then walked out of the office.

 **Hard Rock Café – Times Square – Saturday Evening**

"Oh God! Why are we here?" Santana moaned as she looked around the loud and messy restaurant. The group were at Hard Rock Café having dinner together. They had chosen the restaurant because it meant the kids could come as well and whenever they did that, Santana would always complain.

"Because the kids love it" Quinn answered as she helped NJ with his menu.

"Look it's the skateboard from Back to the Future" Sam exclaimed pointing to the skateboard that was in a glass cabinet behind Santana's head. Santana gave Sam a disgusted look while Mercedes smiled at him, amused.

"Because Sam loves it" Quinn corrected, smiling affectionately at Sam, almost like she would at NJ, Rose, and Henry. Santana glanced over at Mercedes.

"You're dating a child" Santana snipped, rolling her eyes.

"You're acting like one" Mercedes mused, not bothering to look up from her menu.

"How has the move gone guys" Rachel asked as she feed Mason a bottle while Finn had both Henry and Rose on his knee, helping them decide what to order. While Finn said he was okay after the letter incident Rachel knew Finn was keeping all his children that much closer to him, since he read it.

"Great, all my stuff is now and Sam's and its going great, right Sam" Mercedes beamed, smiling at Sam who winked at her in reply.

"Really great" Sam agreed.

"How's it really going" Brittany asked, smirking. The others couple knew all to well what it was really like when you moved in with your partner.

"Mercedes is really messy" Sam sighed, throwing his head back. Mercedes scoffed at him before looking back at their friends.

"Sam always leaves the lights on" Mercedes added, before smiling at Sam "But still great"

"Really great" Sam agreed, kissing Mercedes sweetly

"Gross" Santana snipped, as she took a sip of her beer. Puck and Finn held in a laugh as Rachel and Brittany who were sat at either side of her both nipped her on the arm.

"Someone's in a good mood" Rachel said, giving Santana a look, before turning to Quinn "So, you heard anything else from Todd"

"No, the messages have actually stopped, I'm so happy that I'm not even going to question it" Quinn sighed, relieved.

"I wouldn't, he's leaving you alone that's the main thing" Finn reasoned, taking a drink of his Budweiser so that nobody would notice the look on his face. Unluckily for him Rachel could read him too well. Rachel waited until everyone was having their own conversations before leaning closer to Finn, so she could whisper in his ear.

"Did you do something?" Rachel whispered.

"I spoke to Todd, made sure he knew it was in his best interest to stay away" Finn replied, with a slight shrug. Rachel had a feeling it was a bigger deal that Finn was making it.

"That's so hot" Rachel gushed, before loudly kissing Finn on the cheek.

"You're such a weirdo" Finn laughed, shaking his head. Rachel moved her chair closer to Finn and gently laid her head on his shoulder.

"And you are an amazing husband and father, I love you" Rachel enthused. Finn leaned down and gave Rachel a loving kiss in reply, carefully not to squash Mason who was still in her arms.

"Booooo" Santana chanted so loudly that the people at the other table turned to look at her.

"Can someone stick a pacifier in the baby" Rachel joked before sticking her tongue out at Santana.

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Monday Evening**

"Hey, look whose home" Finn cheered as Rachel walked into the living room, late Monday evening. Rachel shrugged off her coat then sat down next to Finn on the floor, who had all three children in his lap as the watched a movie.

"Hey babies" Rachel grinned as she cuddled with her family on the floor. She let out a loud yawn then rested her head on Finn's shoulder.

"Late night at the office" Finn wondered.

"Yeah had some issues with the latest issue" Rachel replied.

"Everything okay now" Finn asked

"Yeah everything is fine" Rachel nodded before turning to Rose and Henry "So, who wants what for dinner"

"Mac and Cheese" Henry cheered, throwing his hands up in the air, lightly hitting Rose in the face. She scowled at her brother as Rachel kissed it better for her.

"You're going to turn into Mac and Cheese, Kid" Finn joked, kissing Henry affectionately on the head.

"I'll get the take-out Menu's" Rachel said. She walked into the kitchen, made sure Finn wasn't looking before she took out at Prison Visitors pass out of her bag, teared it up and threw it in the bin before talking the take-out menu's out of drawer and walking back into the living room, towards her family.


	18. 4x18 - Glee and The Move

**Hey Guys :)**

 **THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all the reviews for the last episode. I like reading about your frustrations with Rachel. In a strange way I feel like I've done a good job when I get annoyed reviews from you because it also shows how much people care about the characters you write about (even the ones you stole from a TV show). So, thank you again :) Only 2 episodes left after this one and Spoiler Alert the finale takes place in the same place that the season 1 and season 3 finales did.**

 **Lastly, please let me know what you think and Happy Reading Xx**

* * *

 **4x18 – Glee and The Move**

* * *

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Friday Morning**

Two weeks after receiving Jimmy's letters, Rachel and her family were sat at the breakfast bar having breakfast together before going to work or school. Rachel hadn't yet told Finn about visiting Jimmy in prison and she was feel guiltier about by the day. She knew she had to tell him but couldn't find the right words to explain herself and it never seemed like a good time. She knew he would be especially angry considering she had already lied about the 1st letter. Rachel was pulled from her thoughts by Finn asking her what time they were meeting the others on Saturday.

"I told the girls we would meet at the restaurant about 7" Rachel explained as she finished off the last of her toast and coffee, while helping Mason with his bottle.

"Sounds fine, I'm assuming it won't be at Hard Rock Café" Finn quipped, as he wiped Henry's face which was covered in strawberry jam.

"It won't be and no kids either, I've asked one of the girls at the nursery to babysit" Rachel replied. Rachel and Finn used the workers at the Nursery at Broadway Star when ever they needed a babysitter. It was extra money for Rachel's staff and meant Rachel and Finn could have a good night out, rest assured that their children were safe.

"Hopefully it will be a good night out, we all need it" Finn sighed. He cleaned up Rose and Henry's plate away then told them to get ready to leave.

Rachel nodded "That we do"

"We've had no more letters so that's a good enough reason to celebrate" Finn reasoned, once he saw that Henry and Rose weren't in listening distance. Neither Rachel or Finn wanted the children knowing that Jimmy had been in contact with them.

"Yeah" Rachel sighed, glancing over from Finn so he couldn't see the guilty look on her face. She brought Mason closer to her as he finished his bottle.

"Deep down I knew Jimmy would give up, he doesn't really want to be a father he was probably doing it to lighten his sentence again" Finn argued as he cleaned up the kitchen.

"Yeah, you're probably right" Rachel argued, hoping she sounded convincing. Rachel hated lying to Finn, but she knew Friday morning while they were rushing about getting ready to leave wasn't the time to tell him what she had done.

"You haven't had anymore letter at work have you" Finn asked, noting the look on Rachel's face.

"No nothing" Rachel replied, quickly before jumping up from her seat "Speaking of work though, I should probably get going, you okay to take Rose and Henry to school"

"Yeah that's fine" Finn replied. Rachel got up from her seat and walked over to Finn until she was in front of him. With her one free hand she placed it gentle on Finn's cheek.

"I love you Finn, so much" Rachel enthused before reaching up to give Finn a sweet kiss, while Mason tried to reach up to their faces with his own hand, having thrown his bottle on the floor because he'd finished.

"I love you… are you okay?" Finn asked as he picked up the empty bottle from the floor while Rose and Henry ran back in to the kitchen ready to leave.

"I'm fine" Rachel replied, waving him off before she picked up Mason's things, kissed Henry, Rose, and Finn goodbye before quickly leaving the house before Finn noticed the guilty look on her face.

 **Rachel's Office – Broadway Star Offices – Friday Morning**

Rachel was pacing her office an hour later, while bouncing Mason on her hip. She was supposed to take him to the nursery, but she'd been so absorbed in her thoughts about the prison visit that she didn't realise she still had Mason in her arms until he started pulling on her hair.

"Morning Rachel… Morning Mason, what is Mason doing with us today" Tina asked as she walked into Rachel's office, leaving a Starbucks take away cup on Rachel's desk.

"Oh yeah, I guess I haven't taken him to nursery yet" Rachel replied, distracted as she continued to pace behind her desk.

"Rachel what is going on" Tina pressed, taking a seat across from Rachel's desk.

"I'm going to tell you something and you have to promise not to say anything" Rachel replied, carefully. She stopped pacing and sat at her desk, she positioned Mason on her knee and handed him a soft toy from her Handbag.

Tina nodded, suddenly concerned "Okay"

"I went to visit Jimmy" Rachel started, Tina gaped at her but didn't say anything "Jimmy sent a third letter to say, he wanted to see the kids when he finally got out, so I convinced Santana to go with me to the prison and scare him a little. We made sure that he knew he wasn't going to see Rose, Henry, or Mason no matter what he did… oh and I might not have told Finn any of this"

"Its lucky your holding Mason, otherwise I would kill you. Why would you think seeing him was a good idea" Tina snapped, rolling her eyes at Rachel, who looked away embarrassed.

"I wanted him to see we were serious about him not getting anywhere near my children. I thought if I brought in a lawyer he would back down. And he has, we haven't received another letter" Rachel argued, helplessly as she softly ran her hands down Mason's head.

"Or he's planning something for when he gets out" Tina snipped.

"Don't freak me out Tina!" Rachel exclaimed. Rachel always trusted Tina to tell her the truth and not what she wanted to hear but at that moment, Rachel didn't want to hear it.

"I'm not trying to, I just wish you would have thought about this more or you know told your husband" Tina stated.

"I know but he was so upset about Jimmy being back in our lives and I didn't want to make it worse"

"Is he going to see it that way" Tina asked, giving Rachel a pointed look. Rachel leaned back in her seat, defeated, careful not to disturb Mason who was happily playing with his toy not at all aware of the turmoil his mother as feeling.

"Oh, Tina this is all such a mess" Rachel sighed.

"Look don't worry yet, you are right, you haven't heard anything more from Jimmy and he doesn't get out for another three months, that's even if is parole is approved. Until you actually know he's going to do anything don't worry yourself to death" Tina explained. She stood up from her seat and handed Rachel her coffee, before she started to leave the office.

"Do you think I should tell Finn" Rachel asked Tina retreating figure. Tina turned back to face Rachel.

Tina shrugged "Only you can answer that"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Saturday Evening**

The next night, Rachel was strapping on her heels ready to leave with Finn to meet their friends while also listening to Rose as she showed Rachel all the paintings she done in the last hour while Henry told her all about the new Spiderman action figure that he just had to have.

"What do you think Mommy?" Rose asked Rachel as she showed her the picture she had painted of Rachel, Finn, and the children outside their house.

"Its beautiful sweetie" Rachel gushed giving Rose a kiss on the cheek just as Henry rushed over to her, and climbed onto her lap.

"Look Mommy, this is the new Spiderman I need" Henry said, shoving a catalogue in Rachel's face. He pointed at a Spiderman actions figure that they had brought out because of the new Avengers movie. It seemed every time Marvel brought out a new movie, Henry needed a new action figure.

"You need it do you" Rachel smirked, cuddling Henry into her.

"Yeah Mommy, Grant has it and I need it!" Henry whined, looking up at his mother with pleading eyes. Rachel wanted to laugh but she didn't think Henry would appreciate that.

"I'll think about it sweetie" Rachel replied as she moved Henry off her lap, so she could finish putting on her heels.

"Can I ring Grannie and ask her" Henry asked, batting his eye lashes at Rachel. Rachel rolled her eyes at her son. Rose and Henry, whenever they couldn't get something form Rachel and Finn, always went to their grandparents for it instead. Rachel knew she shouldn't encourage it, but it was always funny to her to see four fully grown adults bend over backwards to make Rose and Henry happy.

"Try grandpa this time, grannie just got Rose that Doll" Rachel quipped, instantly knowing Finn wouldn't be happy with her for encouraging them, yet again.

"No wait I wanna ask Grandpa for another outfit for my American Girl Doll" Rose argued looking up from her painting. Rose and Henry started arguing about who was going to ask Grandpa and Rachel decided to ignore them and let them work it out themselves.

"I probably shouldn't be encouraging this" Rachel reasoned, shaking her head.

"Hey babe, Gina is here, you ready to go" Finn asked as he walked into the living room. Rachel openly checked Finn and he responded with a cheeky wink.

Rachel nodded "Absolutely"

Rachel and Finn said bye to their children, gave some instructions to Gina then got a cab over to La Luna a fancy new French restaurant that Brittany had been able to get them in by using her fathers name.

"Hey guys, about time you both show up" Santana greeted, with a roll of her eyes as Finn and Rachel took their seat at the table.

"We have three children to settle first" Rachel snipped, giving Santana a pointed look, while Finn said hello to everyone else at the table.

"We got some champagne, courtesy of my father" Brittany beamed as she handed Finn and Rachel a flute of champagne. Brittany explained it had come free with the table. They all sometimes forgot the influence Brittany's family had, but they were happy to enjoy it when it happened.

"Well cheers to Brittany's father" Rachel cheered, before taking a sip of the champagne "Oh that's good"

"Puck isn't this usually when you do a toast" Sam joked once everyone had a re-fill on their champagne. Puck rolled his eyes at Sam as Quinn gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"You guys are obsessed, I'm limiting my toasts to babies and weddings" Puck argued.

"But we've already had all of them" Finn argued as he wrapped his arm around Rachel and pulled her close.

"Except those two" Santana smirked looking over at Sam and Mercedes, who both blushed at the comment but choose to ignore it. They all had their own conversations for a while as they drank the champagne and nibbled on the appetisers that the waiter kept bringing them over.

"Oh God!" Quinn gasped, dropping her fork suddenly as she looked ahead of her. Everyone stopped talking to look over at her.

"What's up" Puck asked.

"It's Todd's Wife" Quinn whispered, nodding her head over to the table a few tables away from theirs. Puck glanced over while the others tried their best not to look so that it wasn't obvious they were staring.

"What should we do? Do you want to leave?" Mercedes asked.

"We shouldn't leave Quinn, we haven't done anything wrong" Puck argued as she wrapped his arm around Quinn, as he could see how worried she was.

"Noah's right Quinn, she might not even come over here" Rachel said, reassuringly.

"Actually, that's exactly what's she doing" Santana stated when she noticed Todd's wife was marching over to their table with a determined look on her face.

"Are you two stalking me now" Todd's wife, Julia, snapped as she slammed her hands on their table, everyone looked at her not sure what else to do.

"Says the women who came over to our table" Santana sneered. Rachel gave her a look she knew meant 'be quiet' while Quinn looked at her alarmed.

"Don't Santana, look we can just leave" Quinn said, firmly, she started getting up off the table, but Puck gently pulled her back down.

"Oh, you'd like that wouldn't you then you can make me look like the bad guy" Julia exclaimed, raising her voice which caught the attention of the people around them.

"You're doing that all on your own" Brittany interjected. Santana gave her wife a proud look before going back to staring at Julie.

"My family is in shambles and your joking about it" Julia shouted, throwing her hands up in annoyance.

"That's not Quinn's fault" Finn argued.

"Then who's fault is it" Julia sneered, glaring at Finn. Rachel gave her a pointed look to look away from her husband, which Julie did to go back to staring at Quinn and Puck.

"Maybe you should ask that sleaze ball of a husband of yours" Santana said, disgusted.

"Nobody asked you!" Julia shouted just as a waiter rushed over to their table, their argument had now caught the attention of most of the restaurant.

"Mam is everything okay over here" A waiter asked glancing between Julia and Brittany.

"Everything fine" Julia stated, firmly still staring at Quinn, who was growing increasingly more uncomfortable.

"Mrs Pierce, is everything okay?" The waiter asked, looking over at Brittany. The restaurant didn't want it getting back to Brittany's father that she had a bad experience at the restaurant, they knew what that would for business for them.

"Yes, this lady was just going back to her own table and everything will be fine" Brittany answered as she gave Julia a piercing look.

"Mam" The waiter said, giving her a pressing look, which Julia knew meant do as Brittany had said or you would be thrown out.

"You're all unbelievable" Julia shook her head before looking back at Quinn "This isn't over"

"Well that was awkward" Sam said, awkwardly once Julia had gone back to her own table. It was full of Julia friends who were on now glaring at them as they tried to comfort Julia.

"You okay Quinn" Puck asked, looking down at her concerned while everyone tried to get back to their conversations.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Quinn sighed before taking a drink of her champagne, unable to look away from Todd's wife as finished off the rest of her champagne.

 **La Luna Restaurant – Greenwich – Saturday Night**

An hour later, Rachel and Finn were stood at the bar, waiting for everyone's drinks. Finn was calling Gina to check on the kids while Rachel watched the Bartender take out another bottle of champagne. Brittany was mad at her father for some reason and was footing the bill for the whole night and that meant champagne all night long and it was definitely needed after their run in Todd's Wife.

"Kids are all fine, Mason is asleep, and Henry wanted me to tell you that grandpa is getting him Spiderman… what's that about" Finn asked once he had disconnected the call and shoved it back in his jacket pocket.

"A very bad parenting habit, I'll tell you later" Rachel waved off before leaning up to give him a quick kiss as the waiter put their drinks down in front of them.

"Well that was an awkward start to the evening" Finn commented before telling the bartender their table number so he could add it to their bill.

"I know poor Noah and Quinn, it seems no matter what they do they can't escape what happened"

"Certainly, seems like Todd's wife isn't going to forget in a hurry" Finn replied. Julia had left just 10 minutes after the conformation but not before yelling out to the restaurant that 'Quinn Fabray was a slut'. The restaurant had been horrified and sent them over some more champagne, but it didn't matter the night was ruined for Quinn.

"Finn, I have to tell you something" Rachel started. It might not have been a good time, but Rachel couldn't continue lying to Finn any longer.

"What is it"

"Hey guys forget the drinks, you guys ready to go, Quinn's had enough we're gonna go to another bar" Santana said interrupting their conversation. Rachel looked over to see their friends all get ready to leave. A few people were still staring at Quinn and Rachel was impressed her friend had been able to last for as long as she had.

"Yeah just give us a minute" Finn replied, Santana walked away from the two as Finn turned back to Rachel "What did you want to tell me"

Rachel shook her "It can wait, let's go"

 **Quinn's Office – L &M Gallery – Monday Morning **

Two days later, Quinn was in her office going over some employee pay checks while also ranting to Rachel on the phone about what happened on Saturday night. Quinn had not been able to stop thinking about it and she saw no way for the situation between them and Todd and his wife to be resolved.

"God, I was awful Rachel. I hate what I've done to this woman and there isn't anything I can do to fix it" Quinn ranted, she threw the pay checks on her desk and leaned back in her office chair.

" _Its not for you to fix Quinn, this is between Todd and his wife and they way he's been acting makes me think this was always going to happen even without you there"_ Rachel lectured. Quinn nodded, she had heard the same thing from Puck, but it didn't make her feel any better. Julia hadn't been wrong because of her Quinn; her family were in shambles.

"Maybe but I still feel awful" Quinn grumbled.

" _That's because you're a good person but trust me Todd's wife just wants to be angry right now and there's nothing you can do to change that, except maybe eat in a lot more to avoid running in to her"_

"I think its god's way of punishing me" Quinn sighed.

" _I think God has bigger things to deal with"_ Rachel teased. Quinn knew Rachel was probably rolling her eyes at her, her friends always thought she was dramatic, but Quinn couldn't help it.

"Maybe so, so what's going on with you, I feel like we didn't talk on Saturday"

" _Nothing really to report"_

"Urgh, Rachel I have a call waiting can I call you back" Quinn asked when she realised she had another call coming through which meant she had to get back to work eventually.

" _Sure, I better go do some actually work, bye"_

"Bye" Quinn ended her call with Rachel then patched through the next one "Quinn Puckerman's Office"

 **Quinn and Puck's Apartment – Upper East Side – Monday Afternoon**

Half an hour later Quinn had run out of work after her phone call and gone straight home, knowing that Puck would already be home as he had a half day at work. Quinn rushed into the apartment to see Puck at the kitchen going over some plays for the next game while NJ watched cartoons in the living room.

"Hey, you're home early" Puck greeted, happily, he put his pen down as Quinn leant down to give him a quick kiss before taking a seat next to him at the table.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about something" Quinn explained, beaming so much she was almost jumping out of her seat.

"Okay what is it"

"This gallery in Rochester have been trying to get me to take a job with them for months, I always said no because you know our lives are here, but they called me again today. They offered me a pay rise, great benefits, a company car, the works, and it got me thinking maybe its not such a crazy idea any more. Maybe I should take it" Quinn explained, barley taking a breath.

"Wait what" Puck asked, shocked, shaking his head.

"Think about it Noah, we'd be closer to your family. We could actually afford to by a house with a garden, I'd have a great job and I'm sure that you could find a job at another Highschool" Quinn ranted. She jumped up out of her seat and got them both a bottle of water. Neither of them wanted one but Quinn needed something to do.

"I don't understand"

"I know it's a lot to take in, but this could be a fresh start for us, a real fresh start where we don't have to worry about bumping into Todd or his wife. We can finally move on from everything that's happened" Quinn concluded, throwing herself back on the chair.

"Quinn, take a breath. What are you actually saying here" Puck wondered as her ran his hand roughly over his head.

Quinn straightened herself up before looking Puck straight in the eye "I'm saying I think we should leave New York"

 **McKinley Bar – West Village – Tuesday Evening**

The next night, Finn and Puck were at a bar near Rachel and Finn's house watching the Jets game and enjoying a beer. Really, Finn was watching the game and enjoying a beer while Puck thought about his conversation with Quinn the day before. Quinn had made some good points about the new job and what it could mean for them, but Puck was still in two minds about the whole thing and he was hoping to get some advice from his best friend, without actually telling Finn about the move. Quinn and Puck had decided not to tell any of their friends until they knew for sure what they were going to do.

"Oh, come on ref" Finn groaned to the TV before glancing at Puck who had a far-away expression on his face "Hey what's with you, you've been quiet all night"

"I need your advice on something, but I can't tell you what it is exactly that I need advice on" Puck said, turning towards Finn.

"Okay. What can you tell me?" Finn asked. He put down his beer and turned in his seat to face Puck.

"Okay say that Rachel had this idea and you weren't really sure it was a good idea, but she was, and she promises you that it's the right thing for your family and she's so enthusiastic about, more so than you've seen her in months. Would you do, even if you weren't a 100% sure about it" Puck rushed out.

"Why aren't I 100% sure about it" Finn asked, he wasn't 100% sure what Puck was saying but he understood enough to hopefully help.

"Well you guys have just got back to a good place and you're worried that a change might disrupt that" Puck reasoned, he rubbed his hands over his face then took a drink of his Budweiser.

"But she's not worried"

"No if anything, she thinks this change will only make things better" Puck argued, shaking his head slightly "So what do you do?"

"You want my honest answer" Finn asked, giving Puck a pointed look.

Puck nodded "I do"

"I would do it"

"You _would_ "

"I would. I trust Rachel enough to know that she sometimes knows what's best even if I don't and I'm sure she'd say the same about me. Change doesn't always have to be a bad thing. Truthfully I would follow Rachel anywhere and I'm sure it's the same for you and Quinn" Finn reasoned. He shrugged, took a sip of his beer then went back to watching the Jets game.

Puck smiled at his friend, even when Finn didn't even know what was going on he still knew how to help "Thanks Man"

"You're welcome, although I'm not actually sure what I said" Finn replied, not taking his eyes off the TV. Puck smirked at his friend before taking a drink of his beer.

"Don't worry it helped"

 **Puck and Quinn's Apartment – Upper East Side – Tuesday Evening**

Puck finished his beer then decided he needed to talk to Quinn, so he left Finn watching the game and got a cab back over to their apartment. Puck found Quinn watching a documentary while have a glass of wine and thankfully NJ was asleep in bed.

"Hey, your home early, how was drinks with Finn" Quinn asked.

"Its was fine" Puck replied, distracted. He sat down next to Quinn on the sofa. He took the glass from her and put it on the coffee table,

"So, I thought a lot about it and I think we should do it" Puck stated.

"Really!" Quinn beamed, grabbing hold of Puck's arms.

"Yeah, Quinn, I would follow you anywhere" Puck sighed, happily. He thought a lot about what Finn said and he knew his friend was right. Puck had to trust that Quinn knew what was for the best even when he didn't and something that made her look so happy couldn't be bad.

"Oh Noah, you're not going to regret this. This is what we need I just know it" Quinn exclaimed, she reached across and hugged him tightly.

"So, do I, I love you Quinn"

"I love you too Noah" Quinn gushed, she pulled away slightly, so she could give him a passionate kiss. Puck quickly responded and before he knew it Quinn was in his lap, taking off his shirt.

"That's good to hear because I'm leaving it to you to tell our friends" Puck quipped as Quinn threw his shirt over the sofa.

"Okay I'll tell them but if you see Santana pick up anything, start running" Quinn retorted as she started to undo Puck's trousers, while he unfastened the buttons on her blouse.

"Noted"

"Thank you, Noah" Quinn smiled at Puck. She put her hands on either side of her face and gave him a loving kiss

"I would do anything for you Quinn" Puck shrugged.

"Except tell our friends we are leaving New York though, right" Quinn joked as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her now topless self.

Puck nodded, firmly "That's right"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Wednesday Evening**

The next night, Puck and Quinn had text all their friends and asked them to meet them at Rachel and Finn's house as they had an announcement to make. Neither Rachel or Finn knew why they couldn't make the announcement at their own apartment but decided not to question it, when everyone said they were free and would be there.

"Well that's Mason finally down, are the other two okay" Finn sighed as he walked into the kitchen where Rachel was getting out some wine and glasses.

"Yeah, set up with a movie in the living room, so what do you think this announcement is about" Rachel wondered.

"No clue, but we're about to find out, they are here" Finn quipped, nodding his head out of the window to where Quinn and Puck were getting out of a cab, with NJ.

Twenty minutes later everyone was there with a drink in hand while the children watched a movie in the living room. None of them knew why they were there but they had all noticed the happy expressions on Puck and Quinn's face.

"Okay so why were will al dragged here on a Wednesday evening, you up the duff again" Santana groaned. Brittany nudged her as Puck rolled his eyes.

"No that's not it but we do have something to tell you" Quinn said, smiling at Puck before turning back to their friends "I got a new job at another gallery, it a bit smaller than L&M but I'm really excited about it"

"That's great Quinn, where is it" Brittany asked.

"That's the other part of the news, it's in Rochester. Noah, NJ and I are moving, we're leaving the city" Quinn concluded, with a wide smile.

"Come again" Santana retorted as everyone gaped at the pair.

"There's a High school there that's looking for a football coach because the other just retired, so it's worked out great. We looking to be leaving by the end of the month" Puck explained to their gaping friends, none of them spoke so Quinn continued to explain.

"Puck's mother lives close by and she's already helped us find a house, it's not official yet but we're very excited about it" Quinn added

"Is this a joke, you can't leave New York. Its New York!" Rachel shouted, throwing her arms up as everyone else stared at the pair silently.

"We think that with everything that's going on it's a good time for our family to have a fresh start" Quinn reasoned

"DO you really want this, both of you" Finn asked, looking straight at Puck. He now knew what his conversation with Puck had been about and that his friend was worried.

"We do, this is a new start for us" Puck nodded, firmly, knowing what Finn was trying to get across.

"Well that's great guys" Finn encourage, helplessly, moving across to hug them both "Congrats"

"Yeah congratulations" Sam added, hugging them both while glancing at Mercedes who was frozen in shock.

"Guys" Quinn said, looking over at Rachel, Santana and Mercedes who had yet to make a move.

"I think I need another drink" Santana stated. She finished off her wine then walked over to the fridge to get another bottle.

"I'll join you" Mercedes mused, following after Santana. Quinn looked over at Rachel.

"I need to check on Mason" Rachel whispered before storming out of the room and up the stairs. While Mercedes and Santana downed their wine and the others didn't know what to do Puck gave Quinn a small smile.

Quinn sighed, heavily "It went better than I thought it would"

 **Mason's Bedroom – Finn and Rachel's House – Wednesday Evening**

"Hey what you doing up here?" Quinn asked, carefully as she walked into Mason's nursery to find Rachel looking over her sleeping son. While everyone was enjoying a drink down stairs, Quinn knew she had to talk to Rachel alone.

"Just settling Mason down, he was getting fussy" Rachel replied, distracted. Quinn looked down at Mason to see he was fast asleep and probably had been for some time before she looked back up at Rachel with a knowing smile.

"Rachel, I know don't you probably don't like it" Quinn reasoned.

"I hate it" Rachel grumbled, crossing her arms, and refusing to meet Quinn's eye line.

"But I think it's the right thing to do for my family, and so does Noah" Quinn argued.

"Seems to me like you're running away" Rachel snipped, lightly, turning her head away from Quinn.

"That's not what this is" Quinn pressed "I need to be able to walk into a restaurant and not have to worry about running into Todd's wife or one of her friends. Noah and I can't really move on with this hanging over our heads"

"Todd's wife will get over this eventually" Rachel pleaded.

"Maybe, maybe not but for right now this is what I want" Quinn reaffirmed. She reached across and squeezed Rachel's arm, but Rachel made no move towards her.

"Oh, there you two are" Santana said, walking into the nursery, with Mercedes both with a fresh glass of wine "Okay so Mercedes and I have had a couple glasses of wine and we're talked it over and we've agreed that we will only let this happen if you promise to call or text every day, face time once a week and visit at least once a month"

"I think I can agree to that" Quinn smiled.

"Well then okay" Mercedes nodded, glancing over at Rachel, who still didn't seem happy.

"I love you guys. I'm gonna hate being away from you all but I need to do this"

"We understand, right Rachel" Mercedes said, as she wrapped her arm around Quinn while looking over at Rachel.

"Right" Rachel said, trying her best to sound convincing "We love you too"

 **The Patio – Finn and Rachel's House – Wednesday Evening**

Two hours later, Finn had finally kicked everyone out for the night and they had all gone to back to their own homes. Once Finn had cleaned away everything and got Henry and Rose in bed, he went in search of Rachel who been very quiet since their friends had left.

"You okay out here" Finn asked as he walked out on to the patio and took a seat next to Rachel on the swing.

"You I don't think I've spent more than a week apart from Quinn since we were 15" Rachel replied, sadly before taking a drink of her wine.

"I know, I remember our honeymoon" Finn teased, nudging her playfully but Rachel wasn't in a joking mood.

"Why are they doing this Finn" Rachel wondered.

"You heard them Rachel, they need this. It's a fresh start for them" Finn argued, he slung his arm around Rachel and pulled her close before kissing the top of her head.

"Seems to me like they are running away" Rachel grumbled.

"Maybe so but that doesn't mean it won't be good for them as well"

"Maybe" Rachel sighed.

"They are always going to be in our lives Rachel, I don't think there is anyway we could ever get rid of them" Finn joked.

"Well that's true" Rachel smiled.

"Hey, I forgot to ask, what was it you wanted to tell me at the bar the other night" Finn wondered, Rachel pulled away from Finn to look in his eyes. She knew it was wrong, but she just didn't have it in her to that conversation with her husband, especially after every that had happened that night.

"Oh, it was nothing important, just stuff at work but its fine now" Rachel replied. Finn nodded his head and Rachel hated that she had been able to lie to him again.

"Good… I love you Mrs Hudson" Finn said, lovingly

Rachel reached for Finn and wrapped her arms tightly around his middle "Right back at ya, Mr Hudson"


	19. 4x19 - Glee and The Goodbye

**Just a short one this time guys but I hope you enjoy, one last chapter after this one. Season 5 is already half way done so hopefully won't be too log of a wait between seasons :)**

 **Happy Reading**

* * *

 **4x19 – Glee and The Goodbye**

* * *

 **The Diner – Park Avenue – Saturday Morning**

A month after announcing to their friends that they were moving, Puck and Quinn had found new jobs, a new school for NJ, and a house and it was now their last day in New York before their new start in Rochester. While Puck and Finn were packing up the last of Puck and Quinn's things, the girls were at the Diner having one last lunch together.

"I can't believe you're trusting Finn and Puck to finish the packing" Santana quipped once the girls had finished giving the waitress their order.

"I hid Puck's Xbox; he can have it back if they do a good job" Quinn retorted. Puck had been fine when Quinn told him she was going for lunch with the girls as well and she suspected it was, so he could take a break as well.

The girls were all looking around the diner, taking it in when Mercedes started cry which quickly set Rachel off, even Santana got a little teary eyed.

"Guys I thought you promised me you wouldn't be sad" Quinn sighed, while smiling at her friends affectionately.

"I just can't believe this will be our last one for a while" Mercedes said, reaching across to take Quinn's had. Rachel nodded in agreement as she hastily wiped her eyes.

"Are you sure you have to leave tonight?" Rachel pressed.

"Yeah, the gallery wants me to start on Monday and we need to get settled in the new house" Quinn replied, for the fifth time that day. The girls had not been happy with how quick the move had come and none of them knew why Quinn was pushing for it so quickly.

"You'll visit right" Santana asked, worried.

"Of course, and you guys can come see me in Rochester" Quinn beamed. Mercedes nodded, while Rachel and Santana playfully shook their heads.

"Oh, I'm not sure I can be seen in Rochester" Santana snipped. Quinn rolled her eyes as Mercedes snipped Santana's arm.

"Of course, we will visit" Mercedes injected.

"Are you sure this is what you want" Rachel asked looking straight at Quinn. Rachel couldn't help but think that Quinn was running away so that she wouldn't have to face what she did to Puck, and even though Puck had forgiven her, Quinn still held some guilt and she thought this was the way to get rid of it.

"I thought you guys said you would stop asking me that" Quinn sighed as she took a drink of her ice tea, looking away from Rachel's eyes.

"Just one more time" Rachel added.

"Yes, it is, Noah and I need a fresh start and I'm excited for the new job" Quinn affirmed, smiling at her friends "That's doesn't mean I'm not going to miss you guys like crazy"

"You better" Rachel demanded, giving Quinn a small smile. Rachel wasn't handling Quinn's move as well as the others because since she was 16, Rachel and Quinn had barely spent more than a week apart.

"You know Finn might be taking this harder than we are" Rachel argued, with a slight smirk trying to lighten the mood "Rose as well"

"Well I guess that means you have to stay we can't have you upsetting Rose" Santana reasoned, giving Quinn a pointed look. Quinn luckily didn't have to answer because Joan, the waitress, came over, with all their food. She put the plates down in front of them. To everyone's surprise she bent down and gave Quinn a lingering hug before she walked away.

"You're still coming to mine before you leave right, everyone's coming" Rachel said, smiling at Joan's retreating body. In all the years they'd know Joan she was never one to show emotion.

Quinn nodded, sadly "Yeah of course we'll be there"

 **Quinn and Puck's Apartment – Upper West Side – Saturday Morning**

"I think that's all of it" Puck said as he moved the last boxes into the kitchen ready to move into the rental van. Puck moved to the fridge and took out two bottles of water and handed one to Finn. They had been packing for the last two hours and needed a break. The two walked into the living room and both dropped on to the sofa.

"I can't believe we got it all packed so quickly" Finn sighed, relieved before taking a long drink of his water.

"It didn't help that NJ and Rose kept trying to take things out every time I packed them up" Puck argued, looking over at NJ's bedroom door where the two were sat on the floor, pouting. None of the children were happy that NJ was leaving.

"Well like Rachel said, you're separating best friends" Finn quipped. Puck rolled his eyes playfully before straightening up.

"Finn" Puck started, seriously, turning to his friend "I want you to know how much your friendship has meant to be these last few years. Everything good that has happened, happened because you decided to be my friend"

"Your welcome" Finn replied, he knew saying anything else would only make Puck feel uncomfortable. Finn was really going to miss Puck, while Puck might not believe it, he was Finn's sounding board and confidant when it came to the girls.

"I'm not sure how I'll ever repay you" Puck admitted.

"Just be good to her Puck… be good to each other" Finn replied. While he was going to miss his friends, Finn knew the move would be good for Puck and Quinn

Puck nodded, firmly "That I can do"

"We better carry on before I turn even more into a chick" Puck joked, shaking his head as the two got up to continue packing. Before Puck could walk away Finn reached out and gave Puck a hug. Puck smacked his hand on Finn's back before pulling away. They both knew no more needed to be said.

 **XoXo**

While the fathers packed up the boxes and took them to the rental van outside, Rose and NJ were sat on the floor in NJ's bedroom surrounded by his packed-up toys, while Henry and Mason took a nap in NJ's bed. None of the children had been happy when they were told about the move and they had done everything they could to stop it, which for children meant taking things out of boxes and hiding them, which didn't really do anything to slow down the process.

"This sucks, I don't wanna go" NJ moaned, throwing his head back.

"I'm gonna miss you NJ" Rose enthused, staring wide eyes at NJ. Despite the 18-month age difference NJ and Rose had always gotten along so well and along with Henry and Mason, they were practically cousins who saw each other all the time. It was going to be a big adjustment for them to not see NJ.

NJ nodded repeatedly "Me too"

"Maybe you could stay with me and Auntie Quinn and Uncle Noah could take Mason" Rose argued, excitedly bouncing in her seat at her brilliant idea.

"Maybe!" NJ agreed.

"Sorry kid, you have to stay with us until you're 18" Puck quipped as he walked past the bedroom with a box in his hands.

"Not fair" NJ grumbled, crossing his arms. He jumped up and opened one of the boxes that littered his bedroom.

"Here Rose I want you to have this, so you remember me" NJ said, taking his Thor action figure out of the box and passing it to Rose. The Thor action figure was NJ's favourite and it was important that he was giving it to Rose.

"I'll always remember you NJ" Rose said, firmly before picking up her doll from the floor "Here have my doll as well"

"Thanks Rosie" NJ beamed, hugging the door close to his chest. A doll he normally would have absolutely no interest in playing with.

"He probably going to make us buy him a new Thor doll now" Puck sighed as the two fathers watched the children from the open bedroom door.

Finn nodded "Her too"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Saturday Evening**

After finishing at the Diner and helping Puck pack up, Rachel and Finn took the kids home to relax for a few hours before everyone came over. Everyone was going to enjoy some food and drinks at Rachel and Finn's before they waved Puck, Quinn, and NJ off. While Rachel got the food and drinks ready, Finn tried to stop Rose and Henry packing up their things, so they could sneak into the Van with NJ.

"Hey Rach, you almost ready everyone will be here soon, and I finally managed to convince Henry and Rose that living in a van wasn't a good idea" Finn said, amused as he walked in to the bedroom to find Rachel sat at her vanity, lost in thought.

"Yeah almost"

"You okay" Finn asked. He sat down next to Rachel and wrapped his arm around her.

"Do you think they are doing the right thing, being so far away from us" Rachel asked, glancing over at Finn.

"Do you want comfort or the truth" Finn quipped.

"Comfort"

"They are doing the right thing, Quinn and Puck need this. After everything that's happened I think they will find real happiness there" Finn stated. Rachel glared at him.

"I said I want you to comfort me" Rachel grumbled. Finn wrapped his other arm around her and gave her a tight hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Better?"

"No" Rachel sighed, leaning her head on Finn's shoulder. Finn kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer.

"I know things are going to change but Quinn and Puck are always going to be in our lives" Finn reaffirmed.

"Promise" Rachel whispered, looking up at Finn.

"Promise"

"MOMMY AUNTIE SANS IS HERE" Rose shouted from the bottom of the stairs. Finn stood up and pulled Rachel with him.

"Come let's go get drunk" Finn laughed, pulling Rachel out of the door "I'm sure that will make you feel better"

 **Quinn and Puck's Apartment – Upper East Side – Saturday Evening**

"Wow we actually managed to fit everything in the Van" Quinn smiled as Puck closed the back of the rental van that had all their possessions in the back. They had managed to get everything ready before they had to drive over to Finn and Rachel's.

"Yeah, we even managed to fit NJ in the back" Puck added, wrapping his arm around Quinn "You ready to head over to Finn and Rachel's"

"Yeah, I just need to hand the keys over to the landlord first" Quinn replied, giving Puck a quick kiss on the cheek "I'll be right back"

Puck walked to the front of the van and sat into the driver's seat. NJ was already next to him strapped into his car seat, pouting – like he'd been doing all afternoon.

"You ready bud" Puck asked, trying his best not to laugh at the look on NJ's face.

"No!" NJ grumbled, narrowing his eyes, and crossing his arms, while glaring at his father. Puck suppressed a smile while trying to give his son a serious look.

"I promise you'll love it" Puck enthused.

NJ shook his head "Nope"

Quinn opened the passage door and climbed into the van. She looked at NJ, smiling at him before looking at Puck.

"Ready to go" Puck asked as he fished the keys out of his pocket and started the engine. He glanced over at Quinn and she knew he wasn't just asking if she was ready to leave for Finn and Rachel's.

"Yeah, I'm excited! It's the start of something new" Quinn enthused, with a wide smile "Thank you for this"

"Your welcome" Puck said, smiling loving at Quinn "I'm excited too"

"I probably won't be telling the girls that" Quinn quipped as Puck pulled out into the road. Puck let out a loud laugh.

"Yeah let's keep that to ourselves"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Saturday Evening**

An hour later, everyone had arrived at Rachel and Finn's and were all crowded around the kitchen, with a drink in their hands, while the children were playing in the living room.

"Okay does everyone have a drink before I made a speech" Santana asked, glancing at everyone as she held up her glass "Did you know Rochester has only 1 Starbucks and no department stores as well as a scarecrow competition every year… I mean what even is that"

"I love this speech" Rachel quipped, as the others shook their heads. Quinn rolled her eyes as Puck just laughed.

Mercedes nodded, smirking "So do I"

"See I'm so much better at these" Puck stated.

"But what we really want to say is that we love both of you and that we hope you have every happiness in Rochester" Finn added holding up his drink. Santana, Mercedes, and Rachel all rolled their eyes simultaneously.

"I'm pretty sure I didn't mean that" Santana argued, Brittany gave her a pointed look.

"Drink up everyone" Sam cheered holding up his glass before taking a big drink. Everyone followed suit and finished off their drinks.

Santana took Puck's glass from him before he could take a sip "Except you, you have a long drive ahead"

 **XoXo**

"So, you're really going to drive for 8 hours straight" Sam asked as he passed Finn another beer then passed Puck a bottle of water. While the girls were in the living room enjoying some wine, and talking about their time in college, the guys are Brittany were in the kitchen

"Well Quinn sure isn't is she" Puck jested. Quinn had tried to drive the van a few blocks, but she wasn't used it and had almost crashed into a lamp post. Puck had deemed it safer that he did all the driving. They had decided to drive through the night, so that they wouldn't be as much traffic.

"I wanna thank you guys for always including me. They are a hard friendship group to understand sometimes but you guys make it easier" Brittany, said, seriously. She looked over at Puck and Finn, who grew slightly uncomfortable with the turn in conversation.

"That's definitely true" Sam laughed, taking a sip of his beer.

"Just thanks, for everything" Brittany concluded.

"I'm not hugging anyone again" Puck complained, looking away from the other although he had a small smile on his face.

"Aww look at them thinking they are as cute as us" Santana joked as the girls walked into the kitchen, noticing the moment that had passed between their spouses.

Brittany pointed her finger at her, playfully "That's because we are"

 **XoXo**

Santana walked out of the bathroom and found Rose sat at the top of the stairs with her head in her hands and a pout on her face.

"You okay Kid?" Santana asked taking a seat next to Rose on the stairs.

"I don't want NJ to leave" Rose sighed leaning against Santana. Santana stroked Rose's hair affectionately.

"Me either Rosie, we are going to miss them all so much" Santana agreed.

"Then why do they have to go" Rose wondered looking over at her aunt, who gave her an affectionate look.

"Sometimes people have to leave but if you love someone enough they never leave your heart" Santana explained, moving Rose onto her lap "And I promise I will make sure you see NJ all the time"

"Okay Auntie Sans" Rose nodded.

"Come on Rosie, let's find you a cookie" Santana enthused. She gave Rose a kiss then helped up off the stairs. Rose ran down the stairs, while Brittany who had been listening at the bottom walked up to meet Santana.

"You're going to be a great parent someday" Brittany beamed before giving Santana a lingering kiss.

Santana nodded, lamely "Yeah maybe"

 **XoXo**

While everyone had another drink in the kitchen, Quinn walked into the back garden to find Rachel sat on the swing bench, lost in thought. Quinn closed the patio door then took a seat next to Rachel.

"You okay out here?" Quinn asked.

"I'm fine"

"Rachel this is what I want. I know maybe deep down you might think that Noah and I are running away but I don't see it this way. This is a fresh start for us" Quinn explained, she moved so she was facing Rachel, who refused to look at her.

"I understand that" Rachel nodded, she could feel Quinn giving her a hard look "I'll eventually understand that"

"And you can't hate Noah, for this either. I made this decision, I want this. This isn't Noah trying to get me out of New York" Quinn affirmed. Rachel slowly tuned so she was finally looking at Quinn and nodded her head.

"Then I no longer hate him" Rachel declared, dramatically.

"Good, it will make you coming to visit a lot easier" Quinn reasoned, with a smile.

"I never said I would" Rachel argued. Quinn gave her a light slap on the arm before pointing her finger at her.

"Oh, you will be coming do you hear me" Quinn shrilled.

"I hear you" Rachel laughed before she pulled Quinn in for a tight hug. Quinn quickly reciprocated and hugged Rachel back with equal force.

"I love you Rachie"

"I love you too Quinny"

 **Outside Finn and Rachel's House – West Village – Saturday Evening**

"So, you're really going to drive this all the way to Rochester" Finn asked, sceptic as he looked over the large rental van. It was time for The Puckerman family to leave so they had all moved outside to say goodbye.

"Do you really think Quinn is gonna" Puck shrugged.

"Well let me know how the new school is" Finn started, turning to Puck "And if you guys ever come back I'll make sure you have a job"

"Thanks man" Puck replied, slapping Finn on the shoulder "Thank you for everything"

"You've already thanked me but your welcome" Finn laughed.

"I better go see if I can pry her away from them" Puck reasoned looking over at Quinn who was wrapped up in a hug with the girls.

"I'll try pry them away from each other" Finn said nodding over at Rose, Henry and NJ who were all in a tight hug of their own. He walked over to the small group and put his hand on Rose and Henry's shoulder.

"Come on Rosie, Henry, you have to come inside now" Finn told them. They all let out loud sighs.

"Bye NJ" Rose beamed, reaching across to join Henry and NJ in a group hug "I'll get my daddy to do the iPad thing tomorrow"

"Good bye Rosie" NJ replied, hugging them both tightly "Bye Henry"

 **XoXo**

"Promise you'll call me all the time" Quinn cried, giving each of her best friends a pleading look. They were all stood by the front stoop, with tears in their eyes. They had all been okay until it came time for Quinn and Puck to leave and they realised they didn't know when the next time they would see their friends.

"We will" The other girls replied in union.

"Even with the smallest thing" Quinn added.

"We will"

"I love you guys so much" Quinn enthused before pulling them into a hug.

"Be happy okay, that's all we want" Rachel said as she held onto Quinn. Rachel hated that Quinn was moving but more than anything she wanted her friend to be happy after the hellish few months she'd had.

Quinn nodded "I will be. Things are going to be different, but you guys are my soulmates that won't change"

"We're soulmates" Mercedes affirmed as the finally pulled away, all wiping their eyes as the others walked over to them.

Puck put his hand on Quinn's arm "Quinn we have to get going"

While Brittany hugged Santana, and Mercedes and Sam took a seat on the step with their arms around each other, Rachel walked with Quinn to the Van.

"Okay call us when you get there okay" Rachel said as her and Quinn walked to the front of the van, hand in hand.

"We will"

"And here some snacks for the road" Rachel added handing Quinn a small plastic bag full of snacks, she taken from the kitchen.

"You're turning into me" Quinn said, through a teary smile, putting the bag in the front seat before turning back to Rachel. Rachel gave her a quick hug and kissed her cheek.

"I love you"

"I love you too"

"Ready?" Puck asked, looking at Quinn has he gave Rachel a quick hug goodbye.

Quinn gave Rachel one last smile before turning to Puck "Yeah let's go"

Puck and Quinn got into the van and everyone watched as Puck started the van and drove away. They all continued to watch until they no longer saw the van. Finn walked over to Rachel and wrapped his arms around her, from behind.

"You okay?" Finn asked before giving her a kiss behind the ear.

"I will be" Rachel admitted as she pulled Finn's arms around her more securely.

Finn looked back at everyone watching Puck and Quinn leave "Come on guys lets go inside, I have cake"


	20. 4x20 - The Missing

**Here we go guys - last episode of the season! Let me know what you've thought about the whole season and what you want to see in Season 5, which I hopefully will have up soon :)**

 **Happy Reading**

* * *

 **4x20 – Glee and The Missing**

* * *

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Wednesday Evening**

It had been a quiet and uneventful Thursday night for the Hudson's. They enjoyed a meal together while watching a movie on Netflix. Then once Mason was in bed, Rachel gave Henry a bath, got him in to his pyjamas then into bed, then Rachel and Finn both started on Rose. Rose, unlike both her brothers, was not as easily swayed when bedtime came around.

"Okay Rosie time for bed" Rachel said, smiling down at her daughter who was playing a game on Finn's iPad. Her wet hair had been pulled into two plaits away from her face and she was wearing her new Moana pyjamas and Rachel couldn't deny how cute her daughter was when she smiled back up at her.

"Ten more minutes' mommy" Rose whined, holding up the iPad to show her mother the game she was in the middle of. If Rose hadn't said the same thing 3 times already, Rachel might have said yes.

"Nope, up missy you have school tomorrow" Rachel quipped, taking her daughter's hand to pull her up from the floor.

"Daddy coming too" Rose beamed, looking over at her father who was lounged out on the sofa, watching TV.

"Daddy is coming" Rachel smiled at Finn "Come on Daddy"

Finn switched off the TV and followed Rose and Rachel up the stairs and into Rose's room, they helped Rose have a drink, brush her teeth then tucked her into bed.

"Okay, you had a drink, been to the bathroom and had a kiss off both of us now time to bed" Rachel explained as she tucked the duvet around Rose.

"One more kiss" Rose replied, pointing at her cheek. Finn and Rachel both gave her a kiss on the cheek then moved towards the door.

"Okay sweetie night, night" Finn said as he switched the light off and turned on Rose's night light.

"Night mommy, Night daddy" Rose sighed as she closed her eyes and pulled her teddy close to her.

"Night sweetie" Rachel said, before she closed the door behind them. She glanced over at Finn who was leaning against the opposite wall with his eyes closed.

"That only took twenty minutes tonight" Finn laughed.

"Ten less than last night" Rachel added, as she wrapped her arms around Finn's middle, leaning her head on his chest.

"What time is it?" Finn asked.

"Eight thirty"

"God I'm so tired" Finn sighed, leaning his head on top of Rachel's. Rachel and Finn had somewhat got into a routine with three children but they still had a few sleepless nights and they were both usually ready for bed by nine every night.

Rachel nodded "Me too"

The two walked into their bedroom and started putting on their own pyjamas. Eventually they both crawled into bed and switched off the lights.

"Three kids all asleep though, we've got it down" Rachel said, happily looking over at Finn, who already had his eyes closed. For some reason that night they were both more tired than usual.

"Yay us" Finn cheered, half-heartedly.

"Are you even listening to me" Rachel asked, with a smirk.

"No, I'm too tired" Finn yawned.

"Night Hun" Rachel said, leaning across to give a quick kiss before she settled down into the duvet. Finn wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

"Night"

 **Broadway Star Offices – Times Square – Thursday Morning**

The next morning, Tina was at her desk trying to get hold of Rachel. It was going on 11' o clock and Rachel still hadn't shown up at work. She'd already missed two big meetings and Tina had been trying to get a hold of her all morning without much luck.

"Has anyone spoken to Rachel today?" Tina shouted through the large office space. A few of the people who had heard her, shook her heads. Rachel picked up her phone and dialled Rachel's number again.

"Hey Rachel, is everything okay, you have a meeting with Julia and Mark in twenty minutes so just let me know what's going on" Tina said before putting the phone down again.

"Can everyone let me know if they speak to Rachel?" Tina shouted to the office again just as her office phone started to ring. "Broadway Star offices, Tina speaking" Tina answered.

" _Is Rachel Hudson there please, its Mrs Feathers at Rose's school"_ Mrs Feathers greeted. Mrs Feathers was Rose's teacher's assistant and Tina knew she wasn't calling for anything good.

" _She not actually here at the moment, this is Tina Cohen-Chang, her executive assistant is everything okay"_ Tina asked, as she rang her hands through her hair, worried.

" _Rose hasn't shown up for school today and we were wondering if everything is okay"_ Mrs Feathers replied, in a worried tone.

"I believe there has been a family emergency, I'm not aware of all the details yet but as soon as I do I will let you but I don't think you should expect Rose in school today" Tina explained.

" _Okay thank you, can you have Mr or Mrs Hudson call us so we know what's happening for tomorrow"_ Mrs Feathers replied.

"Absolutely thank you for calling" Tina stated, before putting the phone down. Tina picked up her bag and coat and made her way over to the elevator. She wasn't sure why but she had a feeling something was wrong and she needed to figure out what it was.

 **The Diner – Park Avenue – Thursday Afternoon**

At the same time Santana and Mercedes were at the diner waiting for Rachel to show up. They had both tried ringing her but got no answer. They had even rung Finn but his phone had gone straight to voicemail.

"Still no answer from Rachel?" Mercedes asked.

"No, she must be busy at work" Santana replied, as she disconnected the call and chucked her phone on the table "We'll have to order I have to be back at work soon"

"So, how's Brittany?" Mercedes asked once the two had ordered their lunches.

"Good I think, she's all moved into my place now and it seems to be going well" Santana replied. Brittany had moved into Santana's apartment after their wedding because Santana had argued her's was closer to work and she liked the neighbourhood and Brittany had decided to accept it, to keep the peace.

"Santana Lopez happily married, who would have thought it" Mercedes beamed as she took a sip of her ice tea.

"Certainly not Santana Lopez" Santana quipped. Before Mercedes could respond, Santana's phone started to buzz. She picked it up to see Tina was calling her.

"Hey Tina" Santana greeted "No we haven't heard from her, we thought she would be busy at work, the school called as well"

"What's wrong?" Mercedes asked, Santana ignored her as she continued to listen to Tina.

"Okay, yeah go over there and ring us when you know something" Santana continued "Okay bye Tina"

"What's wrong" Mercedes pressed once Santana had put her phone back in her bag.

"Rachel didn't show up at work today and the school called and they said nobody dropped off Rose and she called Dalton Finn wasn't there either" Santana explained, worried.

"Where are they?" Mercedes wondered. Rachel hadn't said anything to them about ditching work for the day and as far as they knew Rachel should have been meeting them for lunch. They knew Rachel and Finn wouldn't let Rose miss school without a good enough reason.

"Nobody knows; Tina is going round to the house just to make sure they are okay" Santana replied, before taking a long drink of her coffee, trying to stop the nervous tapping of her foot.

Mercedes ran her hands together, nervously "Are you sure nothing's wrong"

"I'm sure they are fine; they have been so tired with the three kids they have either decided to go off for the day or they are passed out because they are so tired" Santana reasoned.

Mercedes nodded, lamely "Yeah I'm sure your right"

 **Rachel and Finn's House – West Village – Thursday Afternoon**

After speaking to Santana, Tina went over to Rachel and Finn's house, hoping to find them both there, along with the children. When she found the door locked, Tina took out the key Rachel had given her years ago but she'd never had to use.

"Oh, I hope I'm wrong" Tina sighed as she walked into the house. Everywhere was silent and nothing seemed out of place. She walked into the kitchen to find a few plates in the sink and an empty beer bottle on the counter.

"Rachel! Finn! are either of you here" Tina called out, to which she got no response. Tina left the kitchen and walked up stairs.

"Come on guys, where are you" Tina whispered, just as she reached Finn and Rachel's room. She would have felt bad about walking through their house when they weren't there if she wasn't so worried, and the broken picture frame on the floor wasn't helping. She opened their bedroom door and gasped when she saw Rachel and Finn in bed. She would have thought they were asleep if it wasn't for the ghostly white colour of their skin and the fact that their bedroom window had been smashed open.

"Rachel!" Tina said, alarmed rushing over to the couple. She began to shake Rachel awake "Rachel come on!"

Neither Rachel or Finn responded to Tina's pleas or her shaking them, so Tina rushed back to her bag that she had dumped on the floor to fish out her phone.

"Yeah, I need an ambulance …" Tina rushed out, quickly giving the operator the address to Rachel and Finn's house while she checked they both had a pulse. She thanked god when she found one on both of them but neither made a move to wake up. Tina was brought back to the operator when she asked Tina to tell her what had happened.

"I don't know what's happened… I don't know how this happened"

 **Sam's Apartment – Greenwich Village – Thursday Afternoon**

Mercedes and Santana decided to end their lunch early so while Santana went back to work, Mercedes went to Sam's apartment. She was still worried that they hadn't heard anything from Rachel but she decided to not think about it until they had heard from Tina.

"So, when do you have to be at the photoshoot" Mercedes asked, looking over at Sam from where she was lounged out on Sam's bed. While the two had spent every night together since they got back together they hadn't made the leap to moving in together yet.

"I have to start make up at two" Sam replied, glancing over at Mercedes "Are you going to come?"

"I'm doing a shift at the bar" Mercedes said, regrettably. While Mercedes would eventually have enough money from her divorce settlement to live off, she'd decided to still get a job, to have something to do with her days as well as feeling good about making her own money again.

"Well we still have about two hours before that" Sam smirked, crawling back on to the bed, hovering over Mercedes. He leaned down to give her a lingering kiss when her phone started to ring.

"Okay just one second" Mercedes said, putting her finger to Sam's lip.

"Ignore it"

"I can't, one second I promise" Mercedes replied, picking up her phone "Hey Tina"

Sam moved off her as Mercedes sat up, putting her hand to her mouth as she listened to Tina.

"Oh god! Are they okay, I'm on my way" Mercedes gasped, she put her phone down then jumped off the bed. "Come on we have to go"

"What's wrong" Sam asked following after Mercedes as he shoved on his shoes and jacket. He looked Mercedes up and down as she threw on her jacket with a distressed look on her face. He'd never seen Mercedes looked so worried and he instantly knew it had to be about her friends.

"It's Finn and Rachel… we need to get to the hospital"

 **Santana's Office -** **Stone, Peterson, and Balme Law firm – Thursday Afternoon**

At the same time, Santana was in her office replying to some emails when she heard a knock on her office door. She looked up to see Brittany walk into her office with a bag of food.

"Hey Brittany, what are you doing here" Santana asked, moving her laptop aside as Brittany dumped the bag on her desk before taking a seat.

"I thought I'd drop off some lunch for you" Brittany beamed. She opened the bag and handed Santana a sandwich and drink before taking out her own. Santana gave Brittany a loving look.

"Thank you"

"How's it going, you busy today or do you think we might actually be able to have dinner together tonight" Brittany wondered, with a teasing smile.

"I think I might be able to treat my wife tonight" Santana smirked. Brittany dropped her sandwich then walked over to Santana and sat down on her lap.

"That's what I like to hear" Brittany cheered, before narrowing her eyes at Santana "Just us right"

"Of course, Mercedes is busy and Rachel has gone off for the day" Santana waved off. Brittany rolled her eyes playfully and went to give Santana a kiss just as Santana's phone started to ring.

"Hold that thought" Santana said as she reached for her phone "Hey Tina"

 **Lenox Health Hospital – Greenwich Village – Thursday Afternoon**

"Tina!"

Tina looked up from the floor to see Mercedes and Santana running towards her, with Brittany and Sam following behind. She had only called them 15 minutes before but she shouldn't have been surprised that they had gotten to the hospital so quickly.

"What's going on, what happened?" Mercedes rushed out, as she tried to catch her breath. Sam only lived ten minutes away from the hospital and instead of waiting for a cab, her and Sam had run the whole way there.

"I found Finn and Rachel, neither of them would wake up but thankfully they were breathing. The doctors think that it was monoxide poising" Tina ranted, rubbing her hands over her face.

"What about the kids?" Santana pressed. Brittany took Santana's hand as Sam wrapped Mercedes in a hug, they were already fearing the worst.

"They weren't there" Tina whispered, worried. The others also gaped at her. They had assumed she would tell them they were also hurt not that they were missing.

"What do you mean?" Santana pressed, squeezing Brittany's hand tightly, it was the only thing keeping her grounded.

"I searched the entire house, they weren't there" Tina stated, firmly glancing at the others frantically "Could they be with anyone else?"

"I don't think so" Mercedes replied, shaking her head "Have you told the police?"

"Yeah I've told them. They are going to put out an amber alert" Tina replied. The others looked around helplessly not sure what else to do. They noticed a group of uniformed police officers talking to the receptionist but none of them made a move towards them.

"What they don't actually think someone took the kids do there" Santana snipped. While Tina didn't answer the grim expression on her face was answer enough "I think I need to call Rachel and Finn's family"

 **XoXo**

While Mercedes, Brittany and Sam stayed in the waiting room for news of the doctors, Tina called Broadway star offices as well as Dalton while Santana called Rachel and Finn's family. She had spoken to Finn's brother Kurt who told her he would tell his parents and then she had called Marley, who had been distraught at what was happening but reasoned it would be too much for Finn and Rachel if he and her whole family came down.

"Of course, Marley, I'll call you the second I hear anything" Santana said. She disconnected the call then let out a heavy sigh before dialling another number "Hey Quinn, it's me, I think you and Puck need to get down here"

 **XoXo**

Thirty minutes later, they head heard from Rachel and Finn's doctor that the couple were both stable and should wake up soon. They hadn't however heard anything about the children, the amber alert had gone out but they had heard nothing since.

"We should be doing something; I feel so helpless right now" Mercedes sighed as she continued to pace the small room.

"What can we do, we just have to trust the doctors and the police" Santana said, firmly. She was holding on to her cup of tea that Sam had brought them all but it had gone cold in her hands.

"I really thought that they had just gone off for the day, we should have gone round there sooner" Mercedes said, guiltily. She finally stopped pacing and took a seat next to Santana on the plastic chairs.

"You can't think like that Mercedes; nobody could have known this was going to happen" Santana reasoned, squeezing Mercedes arm affectionately before pulling away.

"Thank god for Tina, I don't even what to think about how much worse this could have been" Mercedes reasoned, with a sigh. She glanced over at Tina, who was on the phone with her husband, letting him know what happened.

"It's the detective" Santana commented, as Detective Rogers walked over to them "Have you heard anything"

Tina, Sam, and Brittany walked over to the two women just as the Detective answered her. Brittany grabbed Santana's hand while Sam wrapped his arms around Tina and Mercedes.

"We have spoken to all of your friend's family and none of them have the children" Rogers explained with a grim expression. While the group knew that would be the case it still killed them to hear it from the detective "So, we have put out an amber alert as you know, and we have every available office out there looking, combing the area, and looking over security cameras"

"The police on the scene think it was a leaked pipe in their bedroom that caused Mr and Mrs Hudson to pass out so that the kidnappers could take the children without them noticing. We are now expecting a ransom call asking for money"

"Oh god" Mercedes gasped, putting her head in her hands.

"Are you saying that are friend's children have really been kidnapped and that our friends were nearly killed in the process" Santana demanded, shaking her head in disbelief. "Why would someone do this, why target Finn and Rachel"

"I'm afraid so Mam and I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that yet" Rogers apologised.

"What can we do now" Santana asked, straightening herself up, letting go of Brittany's hand as she looked at the detective.

"Sit tight, I'm afraid. You've given us everything we need. You just have to let us do our jobs now. We will let you know if anything happens" Rogers explained, before walking over to two uniformed officers, who were waiting for him by the door.

Santana and Mercedes sat down in the waiting area and Santana wrapped her arms around Mercedes when she noticed the tears in her eyes. The other remained standing, knowing there was nothing they could say to make this better.

"Don't worry everything is going to be fine, everything is going to be just fine" Santana chanted, even if she didn't really believe it.

 **Abandoned Apartment – Brooklyn – Thursday Afternoon**

Lydia followed Jimmy down a deserted hallway, she wasn't sure where he had brought here or why she had followed him but she knew it wouldn't be anything good. Jimmy eventually stopped outside a busted-up door then turned to Lydia with a sinister smile.

"Jimmy why have you brought me here" Lydia asked, concerned, not at all liking the look Jimmy was giving her.

"Just come with me Lydia, I did this for us so that we can start our new lives together as a family" Jimmy rushed out, a wide smile on his face that unnerved Lydia.

"What do you mean as a family" Lydia pressed as Jimmy pulled her through the front door. The first thing Lydia saw was Rose, Henry and Mason huddled together on the floor. They were still in their pyjamas, but they were now covered in dirt from the apartment and Rose had a small bruise on her face.

"What have you done Jimmy" Lydia gasped, covering her mouth with her hands as she continued to watch the children. Luckily Mason was asleep in Rose's arms but the other two children looked terrified.

"They are our children and they should be with us, so I took them" Jimmy replied, firmly.

"What do you mean you took them" Lydia shouted, spinning round to face Jimmy. Who didn't seem pleased the Lydia wasn't as happy as him that he had taken the children.

While Lydia and Jimmy continued to talk in the dirty kitchen, Henry inched closer to his sister to whisper in her ear.

"Rosie why are we here?" Henry whispered as tears fell down his cheeks and dripped on to the worn carpets.

"I don't know Henry" Rose replied.

"I want to go home" Henry cried, moving closer to his sister, careful not to stir Mason who was asleep on Rose's lap.

"Don't worry Henry we will" Rose soothed, reaching out to stroke Henry's hair "Mommy and Daddy will find us"


End file.
